Exquisite: It’s Been a While Since I’ve Met Someone This Interesting (Part 1)
…
Broly blinked for a moment, scratching his head, and hurriedly waved his hands to politely refuse.
“Put it on when you’re in danger,” Ren said, taking Broly’s hand and personally strapping the watch onto his wrist.
This was one of Tony Stark’s watches.
Ren was confident that this watch had nothing to do with that old robot called Luke, which had been melted down by Vados herself.
Ren had also specifically told Broly to wear it only when necessary, during moments of extreme danger.
Broly rubbed his eyes, feeling emotional, almost on the verge of tears.
No one had ever been so kind to him before.
“If your life is in danger, once you put on the armor, there’s a communication device embedded in it. You can contact me immediately and escape the scene,” Ren said seriously, patting Broly’s watch as a solemn reminder.
Broly nodded repeatedly in agreement.
“Also,” Ren continued after a moment’s pause, “When you’re out in the world, take care of yourself. You can’t trust everything the other Gods of Destruction say. Be careful—they might set traps for you.”
Broly nodded again, his face turning serious. “If there’s a trap… I’ll just bury it.”
“I have a feeling that the God of Destruction, Sidra, has some hidden intentions. Be extremely cautious,” Ren reminded once more.
At that moment, Ren felt like he was acting like Broly’s father, filled with the worries of a parent watching their child venture out into the world for the first time.
As he spoke, Ren took out several Senzu Beans and handed them to Broly.
“These are Senzu Beans. Eat one, and you’ll instantly recover your strength and energy,” Ren explained.
Broly’s eyes began to water again.
It felt like Ren was more caring than his own father had ever been.
Wait, where was his father, anyway? Should he go back and see him?
“My father…” Broly muttered, scratching his head.
“If you want to go back, you should,” Ren said, not objecting.
After all, with Broly’s current strength, his father wouldn’t be able to control him anymore.
Broly obediently nodded once again.
“Just try not to return with any of the other Gods of Destruction. If possible, find time to go back alone,” Ren added as a precaution.
“Okay,” Broly agreed.
“Go on then,” Ren said, patting Broly on the shoulder.
Ren had thought long and hard about the Iron Man armor and decided to give it to Broly, at least for the time being.
It wasn’t something Ren needed much anymore, and besides, with Merus by his side, he always had someone to rely on in dangerous situations.
Even Sidra, that cunning God of Destruction, knew that Ren was on the path to becoming an Angel, so there wasn’t much reason to target him.
So, the Iron Man suit would serve as a good life-saving tool for Broly. After all, it was Broly’s first time venturing out on his own, and Ren couldn’t help but feel a bit uneasy.
Still, Broly had to grow eventually, and Ren couldn’t be by his side forever. This journey would be part of Broly’s path to maturity, just as Ren himself had his own path to walk.
As Ren gave Broly some last-minute advice, Merus was doing the same with Majin Buu, pulling him aside to offer some serious reminders.
“Those two are Gods of Destruction—real Gods of Destruction, stronger than even me!” Merus said gravely to Buu. “You absolutely cannot turn them into chocolate! Your magic won’t work on them! Understand?”
Majin Buu’s mouth fell open in surprise.
Stronger than Merus? He’d have to be careful.
Too bad he couldn’t turn them into chocolate.
“And one more thing,” Merus continued sternly. “You can’t just go around turning random humans into chocolate. That’s not okay.”
“Yeah, yeah,” Buu said dismissively, nodding his head to get Merus off his back.
“Try to learn from Broly. Talk things through before acting,” Merus advised again.
Majin Buu nodded once more.
“And don’t cause trouble!” Merus warned, still concerned.
“Are you done yet?” Majin Buu groaned, his triangular eyes glaring with impatience.
Merus instinctively reached for his staff, only to realize it was still in Ren’s hand.
Merus: “…”
“Whack!”
Merus summoned a ghostly image of his staff and tapped it on the ground for show.
Buu’s face went pale, and he immediately bowed in submission.
“Go on,” Merus sighed in relief.
Buu turned and walked away.
Once I leave, I’m not coming back. I’m not playing along with you anymore. I’m going somewhere you won’t find me.
Broly and Majin Buu rejoined Sidra and Mosco.
“Wham!”
Mosco’s chest compartment opened, and Muel stepped out.
“Hahaha! Broly, I guess we’ve become friends through fighting, haven’t we?” Muel laughed, walking over to shake Broly’s hand warmly.
Broly remained silent, sneaking a peek into Mosco’s chest cavity.
“You’re not still mad at me, are you?” Muel chuckled. “I was in the wrong back then. I apologize. I hope you don’t hold a grudge.”
Broly shook his head, saying nothing.
“Ren, about that incident last time—I’m sorry. If you had told me who you were earlier, I wouldn’t have been so rash,” Muel said, his tone filled with regret.
“No harm done,” Ren replied with a light smile, brushing it off.
“Well then, let’s get going. I’ll show you both around and explain the duties of a God of Destruction,” Sidra said to Broly and Majin Buu, before turning to Ren and Merus. “Farewell, you two Angels.”
“Thanks for looking after Broly and Buu,” Merus said politely, bowing.
Ren, on the other hand, simply nodded without the same formality.
“Come on, Broly,” Sidra said, extending his hand. “I’ll take you for a flight and let you experience a God of Destruction’s speed.”
“Then I’ll take you,” Muel said to Majin Buu, before hopping back inside Mosco and closing the hatch.
Mosco extended his large mechanical hand.
Majin Buu thought for a moment and then took it.
“Whoosh!”
Purple-red light burst from Sidra and Mosco, enveloping Broly and Majin Buu. In an instant, the four of them shot into the sky, disappearing from sight as Ren and Merus watched them go.
After they were gone, Merus finally lowered his gaze.
“Gods of Destruction must grow in their own ways. I believe they meant no harm; they probably just wanted to establish a good connection. There’s no need to worry,” Merus said to Ren.
“Which universe do you plan to visit?” Ren asked, not responding directly.
“The Eleventh Universe,” Merus said after some thought.
Ren: “…”
Why the Eleventh Universe all of a sudden?
“Didn’t you say you were starting with the First Universe?” Ren asked, puzzled.
“I was,” Merus replied with a smile. “But then I remembered someone I want to meet.”
“Who?” Ren asked, feeling a bit tense.
“Didn’t you hear Vermoud mention a certain person during the tournament, right after Toppo lost?” Merus said with a knowing smile.
“Jiren?” Ren blurted out immediately.
Merus: “…”
He was caught off guard.
“I thought you didn’t hear that part…” Merus muttered, wiping his brow.
“As an Angel, you have to be alert to everything around you,” Ren replied coolly.
“Alert to everything?” Merus blinked. “What an interesting way to put it. That’s a perfect phrase.”
“Are you planning to train Jiren to become a Supreme Kai?” Ren asked.
“From what Vermoud said, if Jiren had competed, Broly wouldn’t have stood a chance,” Merus chuckled. “So I want to meet Jiren. If he’s a good fit, I might train him to become a Supreme Kai. If he does take up that role, he’d easily surpass Goku in power.”
“You make a good point…” Ren mused, repeating Jiren’s name under his breath.
…
Exquisite: It’s Been a While Since I’ve Met Someone This Interesting (Part 2)
…
Merus suddenly felt uneasy.
“Let’s be clear, Jiren is my choice, so don’t even think about taking him, Ren,” Merus warned, trying to ensure Ren didn’t interfere with his plans. Then, with a smile, he added, “But I’m sure you wouldn’t do that. Weren’t you planning to go to Universe 6’s Earth? We won’t be working together anyway.”
“No, I’m coming with you to Universe 11,” Ren replied, shaking his head with determination.
Merus was speechless.
Weren’t you supposed to go to Earth?
Why did you suddenly change your mind?
The only reason I picked Universe 11 was because you said you were going to Earth!
Now I’m starting to suspect that you might be up to something, maybe even trying to steal Jiren from me.
“You’re absolutely right, Merus,” Ren said, nodding. “Didn’t you just say that Goku is still too young? There’s no point in staying by his side constantly. It’s better to let him grow on his own! So, I’ve decided to come along with you and check out Universe 11.”
Merus was left at a loss for words.
After a brief hesitation, Merus decided to lay things out clearly. “Alright, let me say this upfront: I don’t mind if you want to find someone in Universe 11, but Jiren is mine. I called dibs.”
“Don’t worry, I’m not going to compete with you for Jiren,” Ren reassured him.
“Good,” Merus sighed in relief.
“But what if Jiren refuses to become your Supreme Kai?” Ren suddenly asked.
“That… he’ll agree. I know humans too well. No human can resist the opportunity to become a god,” Merus replied confidently with a grin. “Just like you, Ren. Haven’t you always wanted to become a true Angel?”
“What if he’s the kind of guy who doesn’t care about that?” Ren asked again.
Merus was left speechless, not knowing how to respond.
“What are you trying to say?” Merus asked, confused.
“If Jiren doesn’t want to be your Supreme Kai, then I can convince him to become mine, right?” Ren said with a mischievous smile.
Merus: “…”
Convince?
Did you really just use the word convince?
Is that how you got Broly on your side?
“Sure, no problem,” Merus said after giving it some thought, nodding in agreement.
If I can’t convince Jiren, I doubt you can either!
“Just wait and see, I’ll convince him so well, he won’t know what hit him,” Ren chuckled.
Merus: “????”
What does that even mean?
“So, should we head out now?” Merus suggested, trying to stay on track.
“Didn’t your father say we should stay here to train for a while?” Ren asked.
“That’s true, but finding the right Supreme Kai is more important right now. We can come back to train later,” Merus explained.
“That makes sense. Alright, let’s go,” Ren agreed. With that, he tapped the staff he was holding on the ground in a dramatic fashion.
“Bang!”
A brilliant light, like the stars themselves, burst around Ren, enveloping both him and Merus.
“Let’s go, Merus!” Ren exclaimed as they turned into streaks of radiant light, quickly leaving Universe 18 and entering the Null Realm.
Merus: “…”
That’s my staff.
Give it back!
Merus reached out, grabbing hold of his staff tightly, as if he was afraid of losing it.
“What are you doing?” Ren asked, glancing back at Merus.
“It’s… mine…” Merus said, feeling a bit dejected.
Why do I feel like someone borrowed money from me, and now I’m the one who feels bad for asking for it back?
Why do I feel like I’m in the wrong?
“If you want it, just ask! How was I supposed to know you wanted it back?” Ren began rambling, much to Merus’ annoyance.
Merus suddenly felt like there was a buzzing fly right in front of his face.
“Forget it,” Merus said, giving up in frustration.
“Merus, as an Angel, what’s the most important principle? Isn’t it to maintain a peaceful heart?” Ren sighed. “Your mind is in turmoil.”
Merus: “…”
“Don’t let my presence disturb your inner peace,” Ren added, as if lecturing him.
Merus didn’t want to say anything anymore. Who’s the real Angel here?
Why does it feel like our roles have been completely reversed?
—
In Universe 18, on a planet as white as jade…
A dazzling light condensed, forming a stunning woman.
She was dressed in the divine garb of an Angel, with long, flowing silver hair cascading over her shoulders, and she held a staff in her hand.
Exquisite looked up in the direction where Ren and Merus had vanished, speechless.
Weren’t they supposed to stay here and train?
Why did they leave so quickly?
This trainee Angel, Merus… your rhythm is completely off now.
How are you ever going to grow into a full-fledged Angel like this?
“But that little one, Ren, is quite unique,” Exquisite smiled softly to herself, speaking in a gentle tone. “It’s been a long time since I’ve met someone so interesting… I hope he achieves his goal and transforms into a true Angel.”
—
In Universe 9, floating in the vastness of space…
“Broly, Buu, welcome to Universe 9,” Sidra greeted with a smile. “So, what would you two like to do first?”
As for the robot Seventeen, Sidra had already tucked her back into her storage unit.
“I’m hungry. I want to eat chocolate,” Majin Buu said, patting his belly.
“What about you, Broly?” Sidra asked.
“I just want food. As long as it tastes good, I’m happy,” Broly replied.
“That’s easy enough! I’ll make sure you both get full and satisfied,” Sidra laughed, pointing to a distant star. “I remember there’s a planet over there with some decent food, and they’ve got chocolate too. It should suit both of your tastes. Let’s head there now.”
“Whirr, whirr!” Mosco made some mechanical sounds, opening his hatch with a smile. “Hearing you both talk about food is making me hungry too. Sidra, let’s go grab something to eat.”
“Let’s go,” Sidra and Mosco exchanged playful glances, both clearly amused.
“Whoosh!”
The group picked up speed, landing quickly on a vibrant orange planet.
The planet was filled with food, but the dishes were poorly prepared.
On top of that, the chocolate was quite unpalatable.
“Bleh!”
Majin Buu spat out a piece of chocolate, his face scrunched up in disgust.
“None of it tastes good,” Buu complained, shaking his head in disappointment.
Broly scratched his head, struggling to eat the food as well, wearing a pained expression.
It reminded him of eating insect eggs back on Planet Vampa.
“This is terrible!” Broly exclaimed, spitting the food out.
Immediately, both Broly and Majin Buu turned to glare at Sidra.
“It’s not good? I thought it was alright…” Sidra muttered quietly.
“It doesn’t taste as good as people-turned-chocolate,” Majin Buu said, shaking his head.
“So picky! This is some of the better food around!” Mule grumbled from the side, clearly unimpressed. “You two are really hard to please.”
You should be grateful to have anything at all to eat.
How dare you be so picky!
“Hakai!” Sidra wasted no time, unleashing a burst of purple-red energy, which struck the ground of the planet.
“Bang!”
In an instant, the entire planet was reduced to nothingness, scattered as dust in the universe.
Broly was stunned.
Majin Buu was startled too, his mouth forming an “O” in shock.
This guy is even better at destroying planets than I used to be.
I used to do stuff like that too.
But I’ve mellowed out now. I don’t destroy planets so easily anymore.
All I wanted was something good to eat…
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