The Zenith Beyond Chapter 6

Edited by: Priapus, Marethyu

A few days have passed since making contact with the Yardratians, and unfortunately, not much improvement has been made since then. Despite her outstanding adaptability, exceptional intellect, and unique talent, Zenith has been struggling to attain what Pybara calls ‘Spirit Control’.

Although she still excels in physical confrontation and typical ki control, she’s been facing quite a lot of difficulties in meditation. It’s rather vexing, and I can’t make sense of it. Can’t she apply her natural talent at ki control into what Pybara has taught her? Was this ‘Spirit Control’ a technique so advanced that it’s far beyond what Zenith is capable of at the moment?

No, that can’t be. Even Yardratian youths can do it, and Zenith is far more talented. In fact, she is capable, but she vehemently refuses to do it for longer than 20 minutes, claiming to have gotten bored or that she cannot do it. When forced, rather than doing what she is told, Zenith becomes very aggravated and throws a tantrum.

This is a reaction she has never shown before. Usually, she is obedient and does everything I tell her without question, even if she finds it boring. Could meditation truly be that undesirable for her? Typically, Zenith has only reacted with fear and distress when faced with something unpleasant. This time, her response is one of frustration and annoyance.

It’s more of a problem, seeing that Zenith understands the importance of meditation. She simply does not care and wants to play this ‘Hide and Seek’ game, or spend more time with physical training. It’s admittedly becoming quite frustrating. The girl is too stubborn for her own good.

Was Pybara correct about her? Could a child like her need to mature first before she can train in their ways despite her nigh-unrivaled talent and incredible intellect? Evidence suggests so, but I’m not quite sure yet. Rather, I have a few other methods for testing to see if it is true.

First, I’d like to see what would change if she were willing to meditate on her own. And to accomplish that, I must adjust my approach.

“You want me to train her?” Son Goku wonders out loud, mildly surprised at my request. His glance flickers between Zenith and me. “Well, I don’t really mind, but why me?”

“Besides some of the Yardratians, you are the only martial arts master present,” I explain. “Rather, I’ve observed you training by yourself and concluded that you are the best candidate to be Zenith’s teacher. On this planet, you are the only one far more powerful than her, so if she loses control, you would be able to easily stop her rampage.”

Although she has yet to show a tendency to lose control, it’d be wise to prepare for such an occasion, even if her ki control is beyond extraordinary. After all, Zenith’s base strength is nowhere near the true power she shows when in distress, and with her rapid growth, I would rather not put her at risk. That dormant power is as dangerous as it is remarkable.

If she were to lose control, she could possibly destroy this world. And while she could likely survive the vacuum of space unlike other Saiyans due to her Metanovian essence, I do not wish to annihilate a world like Yardrat. Not when Zenith has yet to learn and master any of their techniques. That would be a waste of resources.

With Son Goku here, however, there would be no risks. Even at the peak of her strength, Zenith’s power pales in comparison. Perhaps not by a massive margin, yes, but the older Saiyan would be able to stop her with his repertoire of skills and techniques. And her theoretical upper limit of 5,000,000 units is inferior to Son Goku’s 6,500,000 units. Assuming that’s his true power, and I’m quite certain it isn’t.

If he could defeat the Galactic Emperor Freeza, then a mere 6.5 million cannot be the limit of his strength.

“Yeah, but I’ve never really trained anyone before.” He says, rubbing his neck. “I can’t say I’d be a good master.”

“Perhaps, but I believe it is for the best regardless.” I insist. “Moreover, like her, you are a Saiyan. I imagine you’d learn to manage one of your kind better than most.”

“Dunno about that. The only experience I had with other Saiyans is them trying to kill me.” He chuckles. “But I guess that does make sense. Sure, sounds like a lot of fun. I’d love to see what Zen is capable of.”

“Excellent. Please proceed.” I nod. “If you do not mind, I wish to observe your methods.”

More accurately, I want to analyze Son Goku’s abilities, strengths, weaknesses, and overall fighting prowess. Such information would be invaluable for Zenith’s progress and growth in the long term. Not only to use in the training chamber, but to be able to compare her to a baseline Saiyan. Indeed, while I wouldn’t obtain data on the pinnacle of Son Goku’s power, even a fraction would be more than enough for now.

“I don’t mind.” He shrugs, looking down at Zenith and crossing his arms, humming in thought. “I can already tell she’s the strongest kid I've ever seen, even more powerful than my son, and that’s something. But that’s mostly raw power, right?”

“Correct,” I confirm. “Despite her extraordinary strength and talent in ki control, Zenith had no formal training. However…”

Goku glances at me curiously.

“In battle, Zenith has a tendency to replicate and use an opponent’s technique and skill before modifying them to fit her,” I add. “Unfortunately, she struggles in mastering said technique.”

“Heh. That makes sense. It’s probably because she doesn’t have a frame of reference to work with.” He describes. “Mimicking someone’s technique is one thing, but it’s almost impossible to perfect or master it without understanding it first.”

“I see,” I record everything he tells me. I will make sure to apply it during Zenith’s next solo training. “Then what do you suggest?”

“Well, there’s not much I can do without seeing Zenith in action first.” He clarifies, addressing the quiet girl patiently looking up at him. “Alright, Zen. How about we have a little spar?”

Zenith blinks and tilts her head.

“Spar?”

“Yup. It’s simple. I want you to try to hit me.” He answers. “And after I’ve gotten the hang of how you are on the offensive, I’ll attack back and test your defensive skills. You okay with that?”

Zenith pauses and looks at me with a conflicted expression, surprising me slightly.

“But I dun wanna hurt Goku.” She mutters.

…

“Haha, don’t worry about me.” He gently waves off her concerns before I can speak, backing off and getting into a stance. “I can handle myself just fine.”

Even with his assurance, Zenith hesitates.

“You heard him.” I urge her, pushing forward. “Proceed.”

At my demand, Zenith’s hesitation slowly disappears, thankfully not disobeying me this time. Her expression sharpens and, after a moment of observing the grinning Goku, she launches forward with a punch. Yet, even with such incredible speed, the older Saiyan effortlessly evades her attack, side-stepping out of the way.

Zenith looks surprised just for a moment before recovering, throwing more and more punches at lightning pace. Her tiny fists become a blur as she tries her hardest to land a single hit, but to no avail. Goku is comfortably avoiding any damage she could’ve inflicted with grace and minimal movement, not only showing superior speed, but immense skill as well.

As this scene stretches on, Zenith grows visibly frustrated. Despite her aptitude and fondness for combat, not being able to make any progress and seeing it makes her react differently. However, at the same time, it looks as if she’s accepted this as some sort of challenge, seeing her refusal to give up.

Eventually, Zenith’s ki explodes in a white aura. Her power begins rising at a steady rate once she incorporates ki blasts into her attacks. Crimson spheres of energy shoot out of her tiny hands, waves of ki annihilating nearby peaks and mountains yet never hitting their intended target. Son Goku effortlessly dances around her attacks, smiling at her all the while. At this rate, she will never hit him.

Getting mildly exhausted at her lack of progress, Zenith backs away, taking a moment to analyze the older Saiyan. She pauses, observing the unmoving Goku with a blank yet studious expression before charging once again. Despite her gradually rising power, she’s nowhere near Son Goku’s level. Not even close.

This time, Zenith attacks far more aggressively, carelessly throwing ki blasts all around the battlefield as she struggles to land a single hit. But then, locked in a highly fierce flurry of attacks, Goku does not notice the energy gathering on the tip of Zenith’s tail until she is ready to release a blast, prompting his smile to drop.

Goku tilts his head and barely avoids the ki beam at the same time Zenith throws a punch, predicting where he will move. The older Saiyan sees the attack and, for the first time, blocks instead of dodging it, using a single finger to stop the champion’s small fist. Rocks and pebbles scatter around from the force of the attack, prompting Goku to smile widely.

“Nice move there, you almost had me.” He chuckles as Zenith backs off with an exhale. “You’re doing great!”

Instead of showing any sign of annoyance or frustration at her failure to land a proper hit, Goku’s praise makes Zenith blink in surprise before smiling, and her tail begins wagging. She turns around to look at me, her eyes sparkling with anticipation.

“Did you see? Did you see?” She asks excitedly. “Is Goku right? Did I do great?”

Admittedly, seeing the massive power difference between them, I hadn’t expected her to get as close to landing a hit as she just showed me. This is the first time Zenith has faced a vastly superior foe, so seeing such performance is… relieving. If her power and skill fail her, she would still have her intelligence and battle instinct to fall back on. 

I pause for a moment before answering.

“You did.” I nod. “Well done, Zenith.”

Zenith giggles happily as she vibrates in excitement, none of her earlier hesitation and concern showing. She is one second away from lunging at Goku before he speaks first.

“I hope you’re ready now, Zen.” He says. “This time, I’ll fight back, alright?”

Zenith nods before immediately soaring toward him. Once again, Son Goku avoids all of her attacks, quickly finding an opening and throwing his first attack since this spar started. Fortunately, the champion reacts quickly enough and puts up her arms to defend herself, blocking the jab as she’s sent flying backward.

She winces as her arms begin to tremble somewhat, but she does not let this deter or scare her as she tries again. It becomes very clear to me that Son Goku is severely holding back on her, as, while he quite easily avoids her onslaught of punches, kicks, and ki blasts, he strikes back just slowly enough for Zenith to react. However, she is still determined, evidently unaware that he’s suppressing himself.

Naturally, Zenith cannot sense energy quite yet. Although connected to him on a spiritual level, she does not know how powerful Son Goku truly is compared to her. This is why she was hesitant and did not want to ‘hurt’ him. Such a claim was not made out of arrogance but simply because she has yet to meet anyone vastly more powerful than her.

The longer this spar goes on, the more powerful Zenith becomes. Already, she has become more than 30% stronger than she was at the start of the training session. Still not close to closing the gap, of course, but noticeable to Goku.

In the midst of trading punches, Goku lands a clean hit on Zenith, sending the small girl crashing through a nearby stone tower. The older Saiyan blinks, and his focused expression drops, replaced by a worried look as he hisses.

“Aw crap, I didn’t mean to hit her that hard.” He grimaces. “Are you okay, Zen?!”

Instead of a verbal response, Zenith charges back in and attacks with all her might, surprising the older Saiyan as he barely blocks her lunge. With a wide smile on her face, the champion’s glowing white aura grows in scope, surrounded by bio-electricity matching the color of her eyes. Unsurprisingly, when facing a powerful adversary, her Saiyan blood will begin to boil. She is deriving considerable pleasure from this duel, as is expected.

Noticing this, Son Goku begins to suppress his power less as more of his attacks hit their target; however, only when there’s an opening to exploit. He is aware that overwhelming the girl wouldn’t help her improve, and instead make this duel far more distressing than it is enjoyable. Nonetheless, Zenith tolerates his punishment, showing a remarkable level of endurance. From what I understand, a toddler’s usual response to pain is to cry.

Either she does not fear pain, or Zenith simply ignores it to enjoy the duel.

Eventually, as the battle grows more explosive, Son Goku takes to the skies, with the champion following closely as they soar above the clouds. I manage to track them easily, and despite the distance of dozens of kilometers they cross in the blink of an eye, their duel can still be felt from where I stand.

Each strike from either fighter causes a loud booming noise, with power sparking in every corner. Waves of red and blue energies pierce through Yardrat’s atmosphere, casting colorful lights that can be seen from anywhere on the planet. Zenith’s power rises up to 50% of its base, showing no signs of slowing down. Rather, it's the opposite.

Impressive. Not counting the time she broke out of her tube, this is a new record.

A red blast of energy suddenly shoots past me, vaporizing one of the stone pillars standing behind me and tearing through the terrain. The blast continues drilling through the crust before bursting into a brilliant explosion, causing a shockwave that would’ve flung me away had I been someone lesser. And although we’re far enough away from civilization, this made me realize something crucial about Zenith.

“It looks like little Zenith’s gotten too excited, yes?”

I glance at the Yardratian’s grandmaster, having just teleported here. He stands next to me to watch the duel.

“So it seems,” I respond. “She’s wasting too much energy and becoming unnecessarily destructive.”

During high-intensity battles such as this, her ki control worsens significantly. Her extreme excitement about facing a powerful foe makes her forget her own strength, or rather, she does not notice her rising power. This could be a problem.

“Very. Any more than this, and she could threaten our planet.” He says. “Thankfully, it seems Goku has already noticed it.”

As another one of Zenith’s blasts comes down on us, Son Goku manages to catch up and deflect it upward, protecting us and the planet. He huffs and exhales in relief, calling out to the younger Saiyan.

“Don’t do that, Zen! You might end up hurting other people!” He exclaims, soaring toward her.

“…It seems I’ve overestimated her control over her power,” I express some disappointment.

“Hmm, no, not quite.” Pybara disagrees, making me look at him. “Her ki control is superb for someone her age.”

“Elaborate.”

“What Zenith is struggling to control isn’t ki. It’s her emotions.” He clarifies. “Things like anger and courage, fear and despair— these things can affect one’s strength. A disciplined warrior must learn to regulate their emotions in battle, even simple ones like excitement. Zenith’s inability to control herself is no weakness— it’s her nature. She is only a child, after all. A Saiyan that thrives in battle.”

“She is overstimulated,” I conclude.

“While that is also true, it’s not quite what I’m saying.” He replies. “It’s clear that little Zenith is simply not used to this feeling.”

“I see…”

I’m aware of Saiyans’ lust for battle. Rather, it was one of my primary reasons for choosing them as the base to create the champion. They’re a race of warriors. Combat is rooted deep into their DNA, and Zenith is no different. After all, she has shown similar responses when facing powerful adversaries. Her first simulated battle with the Hera Soldier comes to mind, but that did not last nearly as long as her current duel with Son Goku.

Even as her energy readings exceeded 75% of her base power, the older Saiyan was nowhere near struggling as much as she was. Even with how exhausted she has gotten, the longer this has continued, the more exhilarated she becomes. It’s reached a point where her childlike laughter could be heard as she and Goku flew past us.

“And this might surprise you, but an outlet like this can be very healthy for her,” Pybara adds. “It’s certainly not something us Yardratians can offer her.”

“Even with how destructive she is?”

“That can be trained, Mr. Dev.” He responds. “And as I said, Son Goku is here to ensure she doesn’t do anything excessive.”

I remain quiet, silently accepting his point. Soon after, the battle between the two Saiyans comes to an end as a slightly bruised Zenith glides down near us, legs and arms quivering while she pants in exhaustion after the most intense duel in her short life. Goku lands seconds later, having suffered no damage beyond a few scratches. No fatigue.

Zenith wants to continue the fight, but her legs refuse to move more than an inch at a time. Seeing this, she prepares another blast that immediately fizzles out, and, eventually, she falls on her rear, taking a moment to breathe.

Her excitement quickly dies down as she notices my staring at her fallen form, replaced with immediate shame, disappointment, and anxiety.

“I lost…” She mumbles. “I’m sorry…”

“You were expected to lose, Zenith,” I tell her. “Overpowering Son Goku was not my demand. You were to spar with him to improve. He is here to train you to be better, not an adversary to be defeated.”

Zenith pauses as her worry slowly vanishes from her expression.

“Like Dev?”

…

“Yes.” I nod. “Like me.”

For a moment, Zenith’s expression turns thoughtful, quickly interrupted by Son Goku as he approaches the young girl.

“And let me tell you, this is incredible. You’re amazing, Zen.” Goku praises, patting her on the head. “If this is the power you were born with, then you’re gonna be a great fighter for sure.”

The champion enjoys the praise, smiling and giggling at the gentle contact from the older Saiyan.

“I assume this spar should be enough of a reference for you?” I question.

“Yup. I know what needs to be worked on, and honestly, there’s a lot.” He nods. “But as long as she’s this eager, then she’ll be getting better in no time.”

Excellent. Admittedly, I never expected Son Goku to be so willing. After all, for what reason would he train a stranger when I’ve not offered him anything in return? But perhaps he sees potential in her as well. And as a fellow Saiyan, I imagine cultivating his own challenge rather than searching for it would be an interesting prospect.

“But we can do that later. I’m starving.” He says, crouching to Zenith’s level. “And I bet you are, too.”

He then picks her up from the ground, making me hesitate to let him before I see how comfortable the champion looks in his arms. My claws around the holster of my plasma gun relax, noting that neither he nor Pybara noticed me wavering.

How odd. It’s clear Son Goku means no harm to her. There’s not even a trace of malice in his heart, yet I felt…

…No matter.

“Then take my hand. I’ll teleport us to the city.” Pybara says, offering his right hand and putting two fingers on his forehead. “After that, we’ll continue our training, Goku. I suppose it’s time we took it to the next level.”

“Alright.”

As Pybara teleports us to the main city of Yardrat, I follow him and Son Goku, trailing behind slightly. Although I notice the subtext of what he said, I do not have context or understand the meaning of ‘taking it to the next level’ and what it can possibly imply.

Fascinating. Perhaps I should observe them.

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Taking care of and raising Zenith to be the proper successor to the Master’s throne, I’ve naturally seen her be rather… uncivilized regarding table manners. Of course, I don’t particularly care about such mortal things, but seeing her devour a feast big enough for several adults in a few minutes is unsightly. And, more importantly, alarming, seeing that we have very limited supplies.

I’ve had no progress getting her to understand that, so I’ve attributed it to her being too young and not yet comprehending these things, but seeing the much older Saiyan gorge himself in a similarly grotesque manner, I stand corrected. It is simply in their nature to be like this.

I had assumed Zenith’s appetite would grow less the older she becomes— that’s what my physical examination of her biology and analysis had shown me. But that doesn’t seem to be the case. Establishing a sustainable food source on the frozen planet was already important, but witnessing this elevates it to the highest priority.

Perhaps I should ask the locals of Yardrat for some of their fruits and vegetables. I could create a specialized greenhouse for them inside Monsoon. After all, that planet is a frozen wasteland. Barely any plants or animals are able to thrive even after countless eons of evolution, and whatever has evolved to live under the harsh cold will take too long to regrow after harvesting.

Yet it is one of the safest planets in this cluster due to the lack of dangerous lifeforms on it and around it. It’s hidden from the rest of the universe, away from the prying eyes of intergalactic empires and/or cosmic beasts willing to destroy anything in their path.

But I suppose I digress. I’ll begin creating this greenhouse once we’re back there.

It has been ten minutes since we returned to the main city, following the Grandmaster to his home as he invited the two Saiyans for a meal, anticipating their absurd appetite and preparing a great feast that surely would satisfy them.

And it did. Barely.

Afterwards, the Yardratian Grandmaster led us to their training grounds. Although this session is planned for Son Goku alone, I requested to follow and observe them alongside the champion, hoping she could learn from watching someone meditate. Observing Goku in deep meditation might inspire her to practice it willingly, too.

Though it seems they’re doing something different this time. Or, as Pybara said earlier, ‘taking it to the next level’. What could he have implied? Is there a more advanced technique in this ‘Yardratian Meditation’ that even Zenith struggles to perform? No, I do not believe so. Experience in basic meditation aside, it couldn’t have taken Son Goku less than a week to achieve such a thing. Assuming such a thing exists.

But I suppose I’ll get my answers soon enough.

“Your training in Spirit Control is going steadily, Goku,” Pybara says, floating above the great pit of towering spikes. “But I believe I’ve figured out a way to accelerate your progress significantly.”

“How so?”

“As I’ve already demonstrated, Spirit Control requires perfect harmony in mind and body. In return, besides general control over your ki, your energy output and reserves expand significantly.” He explains to us once again. “However, you’re already a warrior acquainted with a similar concept.”

“I am,” Goku confirms. “Almost all of my masters told me to meditate and get a better feel for my ki. They told me it helps me understand my power better.”

“Correct.” Pybara nods. “Thus, there’s already a well-established balance between your body and mind. Not what I’d call perfect by any means, but it’s a head start. Unlike trainees who have no experience in meditation, you wouldn’t benefit as much as they would. At least in their first few days of training. However, you have something almost no one in this universe has.”

“I do?” The older Saiyan blinks.

Pybara smiles.

“Super Saiyan.”

I lean forward in intrigue. What’s this? ‘Super Saiyan,’ he said?

“Oh, you’re right!” Goku’s eyes widen in realization.

“That transformation causes a great imbalance in your power. The raging turmoil of that incredible power breaks the harmony of your mind and body.” Pybara explains. “So, by meditating in that state—”

“I’ll improve my Spirit Control way faster.” The older Saiyan says. “But it’s gonna be way tougher to pull off.”

“Pardon my interruption—” My tone quickly draws their attention as they look at me. “What’s this ‘Super Saiyan’ you speak of? A transformation? Could you be talking about the great ape form?”

I am aware of the Saiyans' ability to transform under a full moon into an enormous ape, increasing their power tenfold, usually at the cost of their self-control. Although the power is great, they become completely berserk, destroying everything around them. From what I understand, only ‘Elite Saiyans’ were trained to control that power, and the Saiyans assumed that form to wipe out countless planets.

Although a fascinating power and one I wish to see in the champion’s arsenal, she is too young. Talented as she may be, I doubt she could control that form. Fortunately, the frozen planet does not have a moon orbiting it, so there is no risk of Zenith accidentally transforming into a great ape and destroying the planet.

Goku blinks at me before smiling.

“Nah, it’s a different thing.” He says. “I achieved it in my battle against Freeza after he… killed my best friend.”

A transformation other than the great ape form? That, I did not know.

Very interesting.

“I see,” I respond blankly. “Could you demonstrate?”

“Sure.” He gives me a grin before glancing at Pybara. “It’ll be tough, but it’s worth a try.”

Pybara nods and backs off slightly, prompting me to do the same as I take Zenith by the hand. We watch as Son Goku takes a deep breath, clenching his fists as his power begins to rise. His calm expression drops, and he grits his teeth and grunts as a whirlwind surrounds him.

His energy starts to increase rapidly from his calm state of five. It surges to fifty, then five thousand, one hundred thousand, ultimately surpassing two hundred million. His wild jet-black hair stands on end, glowing brilliant gold, while his dark eyes shift to an almost luminous teal. Zenith stands beside me, watching this astonishing scene in sheer amazement, nearly holding her breath as Son Goku unleashes a roar, his fiery aura erupting and shattering the nearby spikes.

“Absurd…” I mutter.

His energy has increased by a whopping 5000%. Fiftyfold. How come I’ve never seen such power? Has no other Saiyan achieved such a magnificent transformation before him? Could it perhaps be exclusive to Son Goku? Related to him as the Catalyst? Was this why he was the most accomplished Saiyan existence? No, it couldn’t be. Why would it?

This transformation is evolutionary, isn’t it? For a Saiyan to have defeated Freeza, he must be a cut above the rest, but even in his base state, Son Goku couldn’t have defeated the galactic emperor. He must’ve been pushed to his limits— reached a point where his body forced him to transform to survive the battle.

But even if it was exclusive to Son Goku…

I glance at the shocked Zenith.

I created her using his biological data. Zenith is biologically related to Goku. In fact, she is closer to his clone than a daughter. Even if this transformation is not hereditary, she should be able to assume this powerful form regardless.

This… is good news. Fantastic.

Enveloped by the flaming aura of this transformation, Son Goku exhales. His clenched fists relax, but his demeanor doesn’t. His formerly calm and serene energy feels as if it’s on the verge of exploding. Though, at the same time,  I wouldn’t say he is struggling to control this… ‘Super Saiyan’ transformation.

“I’ve seen it more than once already, but…” Pybara chuckles. “It still surprises me every time. To think I’d see the legendary Super Saiyan with my own eyes.”

“You were hiding such incredible power all this time.” I accuse.

“Haha, I dunno about hiding it.” He smiles, turning his head to look at Zenith. “So, whaddya think, Zen?”

As their eyes connect, the champion flinches, seeking refuge behind my leg, causing Son Goku to blink in bewilderment. Zenith, on the other hand, avoids eye contact, softly whimpering as she sees him trying to move closer

“Zen?” Goku stops as he sees her distress and tilts his head. “Are you okay? I didn’t mean to scare you.”

She remains silent, peering from behind my leg. She displays none of the warmth and trust she had offered him before—only fear and suspicion. How strange. Is she frightened by this transformation? What could be causing it?

“What’s the meaning of this, Zenith?” I ask.

She hesitates for a moment before answering me.

“He’s angry. He wants to hurt me.” She mutters.

“What? No, I wouldn’t do that.” Goku denies, giving her a disarming smile. “I know I look scary like this, but I promise I’d never hurt you.”

As the older Saiyan takes one more step forward, Zenith responds in a way I’ve never seen before.

“STAY AWAY!”

Goku recoils and steps back, clearly bewildered. I feel the same, which leads me to glance at the girl in genuine confusion. Her lips are trembling, and tears gather in the corners of her eyes. She is fearful and in severe distress, to the point where her energy is beginning to grow ever so steadily.

This could be bad. I do not know why she is reacting that way, not when she’s grown very fond of Son Goku in a short amount of time, but I will not risk any more mental distress for her.

“…We shall be taking our leave now,” I tell them. “Excuse us.”

I take Zenith with me and fly off into the distance, getting into Monsoon’s teleportation range. As we make it back to the vessel, I turn to look down at the champion, but before I can ask her why she reacted in such a way, she wraps her tiny arms around my leg and begins sobbing.

“Zenith?”

Instead of explaining what it is that terrified her so greatly, her soft sobs rapidly escalated into loud cries. She trembles as she clings to me, seeking comfort from whatever frightened her. This reaction is reminiscent of the time she had that nightmare about the ‘angry orange man’.

…Ah, I see. I understand. That confirms it.

Those dreams of hers… were merely times when she sensed him. And what she felt back then— that nightmare of hers. It was during a period when he’d assumed that form, wasn’t it? With it heightening his power to utter absurdity, it’s no wonder that Zenith felt it across the galaxy.

And now, seeing that tremendous power right in front of her must’ve overwhelmed her senses. Her connection to him. Saying he was ‘angry’ was simply what that power felt like for her. What she is associating it with is pure fury.

“You are safe now, Zenith,” I tell her, patting her on the head to try to comfort her. “No one can hurt you here.”

It is necessary for me to provide a thorough explanation that Son Goku does not intend any harm towards her. I cannot allow this sudden negative change in her perception of him to worsen—not before he teaches her how to achieve that form. If Zenith could become a Super Saiyan as well, and with her dormant power seeing no limit yet…

Then there’s no telling just how much progress we can make.