-Age ???-

A drop of blood fell to the ground. The scene showed the Time Patroller who defeated Demigra; his body was covered in blood. His breaths were ragged. He was feeling pain in every single fibre of his body; even taking a breath hurt like hell. His hands were chained, and his neck had some burns from the shock collar.

In front of him was a girl lying on the ground with a red cloak behind her, dead. Her body was covered in blood. She was an important figure in his life, the one that sparked his interest in love, Ruby Rose.

But the Saiyan didn't react, only staring at it blankly. If not for these chains, he would have run to her immediately and wrapped his arms around her lifeless body, even if it wasn't real. He knew it was an illusion, but seeing it didn't make it easier for him to stay sane. Even closing his eyes wasn't helping at all.

"The Supreme Kai of Time really did a good job of teaching you how to control your rage." Towa, who was nearby, smiled devilishly.

The Saiyan didn't respond. Towa merely grins. The boy was definitely on his limit. One more push should do it. Then, she turned her head towards the figure behind her.

"How are you feeling, Mira?"

"Stronger. The power was really extraordinary. Now I can call myself the strongest." Mira clenched his fist. The power he felt was intoxicating. The bio-android's face was stoic as usual as he watched the frail boy attempt to squirm.

"S-stop..."

"Hm? What are you saying?" Towa turned her gaze towards Kai.

"St-stop it, pl-please...."

"Stop? No, my dear. Until that power is unleashed, this will have to continue." Towa merely chuckles at his sight. Then she saw a droplet fall from his face that was covered in darkness.

Tears?

Mira went to him and punched him square in the jaw, making Kai splatter some blood.

"Pathetic. A warrior should not show any weakness." Mira shot a disgusted face at him.

Kai coughed out some blood. He was on the verge of dying if not for Towa constantly healing him-not to his full strength, of course. Only to keep him alive.

"Stop it, Mira. We need him alive." Towa stopped her creation before he could land another blow on Kai. Mira grunted as he backed down. Towa then tapped her staff on the ground. The surroundings changed again and returned to normal.

Kai's face lowered down. Blood was dripping from his mouth as he felt some of his injuries being healed to some degree. He glanced at Towa with hatred.

"I like you better when you're angry, boy. I think that's enough torturing you; now how about I tell you a bedtime story?" Towa raised his head using the tip of her staff.

"H-huh?"

"You aren't supposed to exist. The world where you originated has no Saiyans or any other living beings beside the Earthlings. But it seems that a Saiyan space pod from Universe 7 got sent into an unknown rift, sending him into that universe's Earth. "

"Him?" Kai asked her, puzzled by her words.

"Your biological father. He's from the same timeline where Shallot originated, too. Strange, isn't it? Lucky for the Earthings, your father was not sent on a mission of conquest, rather, it was for survival. You should know about this."

"My father... came from Shallot's timeline? He ended up on Earth for survival. That means he's escaping the war against the evil Saiyans...." Kai remembered the history of the Saiyans.

"That's correct. He was special, like you. Do you know what it is?"

Kai shook his head slowly.

"It was God Ki." Kai's expression turned into shock.

"Well, you should be grateful for that. If not for your God Ki, you were probably dead when you were still an infant. It suppressed the massive minus energy that resides in your body."

"And I did a lot of research to find a way to unleash it. At first, I hypothesised it came from rage, like Super Saiyan, but I was wrong."

"Don't tell me.....!!!" Kai's eyes shot wide open.

"Yes. A trigger."

Towa tapped her staff once, and she suddenly disappeared alongside Mira. Then, the surroundings started to change again. This made the half-breed gasp in horror.

Beside him, Ai was bleeding out, but she was still standing despite the fatal injury she received. She used her hand to keep her from falling.

Ai stumbled a little bit, using her right hand to stop the bleeding while her other arm held on to the wall, slowly falling to the ground. Her blood dripped slowly from the wound. Her clothes and floor were covered in blood.

"AI-SAN!!!!!" Kai screamed her name. But she can't hear him. It was just another illusion, but the fact completely left his mind.

He tried to break free from the chains, but it was pointless. Then, he started to power up, until the shock collar electrocuted him, making him cry in agony.

"LET ME GO, TOWA!!!"

"Ai!!" Aqua rushed to his mother, worried.

"Does that hurt?! I was hurt worse! It was incredibly painful! You went and had kids even though you're an idol!" shouted the man.

Kai turned his head immediately, looking at Ryousuke, who was holding a knife, full of blood. Ai's own blood.

"YOU BASTARD!!!" He screamed once again.

"Ai! Ai!" Aqua shouted her name as she tried to stand up.

"You fan-betraying slut. You treated us fans like we didn't exist! I bet you mocked us behind our backs! You damn liar! You lured us in with your constant "I love you! I love you!" crap! IT WAS ALL LIES!"

Kai tried to break free again.

Aqua looked completely frightened at the man. Ai shielded him with her hand as she spoke to the man.

"I've been irresponsible from the start... I'm not pure, and I'm dishonest and dirty." Her eyes were half-open as she said it in between breaths.

Kai's rage disappeared when he heard Ai's statement.

"I don't have a good grasp of what it means to love somebody... So, instead... I told pretty lies that would please everyone... always hoping that one day those lies would become the truth."

"A-Ai-san...?" Kai's words were stucked on his throat. Only her name escaped his mouth.

The mysterious man took a few steps back, looking horrified.

"I tried my best, worked hard, and lied with everything I had. To me, lies are love. And in my own way, I thought I was expressing love." Ai looked at the man with starry eyes.

The man was stunned. Ai continued to talk,

"I don't know if I was able to love you and the others... but I sang all those love songs while thinking that I wanted to. Hoping that someday that would become the truth." Ai stretched out his hand at the man.

"Even now, I want to love you."

Kai's eyes widened.

"A-Ai?"

The man was scared but replied, "Liar... You don't even remember me, do you? You just want me to let you go, ri-"

"You're Ryousuke, aren't you? You often came to the handshake events." guessed Ai.

Seeing no response from Ryousuke, she said, "Oh? Am I wrong? Sorry, I was never very good with names," she said, tapping her head using her index finger.

"I was happy when I got that star-sand present from you as a present. I've still got it displayed in my living room." Ai smile weakly at him.

Ryousuke was holding his head in distress. "What the hell? I... That's not what...!"

Kai remembered back when he stopped Ryousuke and saved Ai,

"It's just an illusion! It's just an illuSIONN!!!" Kai yelled at the top of his lungs.

He cried as he tried to run away from the house. But this time, he succeeded.

"Wa-wait... Where's me?" Then something struck his mind.

"You're not supposed to exist."

Towa's words.

At that moment, rage became fear.

Ai stammered and fell backward; her body hit the door. Blood was everywhere. She tried to stop the bleeding with both of her hands.

"Ai!!! I've called an ambulance!" Aqua yelled her name as Kai watched the scene unfold.

"Well, I let my guard down there. So door chains are for a time like this, huh? They never taught us that back at home." Ai chuckled slowly, then wrapped her arms around Aqua protectively.

Aqua shouted at her, "Don't try to talk!"

"I'm sorry. This is probably.........."

"...it for me."

"TOWAAAAA!!!!!!!!" Kai screamed the female demon's name once more. He gritted his teeth as he unconsciously entered his Super Saiyan 2 state. Sparks of electricity emitted from his body.

"AAAAARRRGGGGGGHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!"

The chains broke as Kai swung his hands.

He fell to the floor. He stood up immediately, trying to carry her on his arms. But his hands just phased her body.

"It's just an illusion."

His whole body was shaking. Kai clutched his head in agony.

Aqua's body was shaking in fear.

"Are you alright? You are not hurt, do you, Aqua?" Ai caressed his hair gently. Aqua held on to Ai tightly, and tears began to form under his blue eyes.

"No, I don't."

"I wonder if today's dome concert will be cancelled..... I feel sorry for everyone." Ai confessed to Aqua, while Ruby put her hands on the other side of the door.

"Hey, what's wrong? What's going on over there?" She said it with an uneaseful expression.

Aqua replied slowly, "Stay back, Ruby."

"Ruby? / R-Ruby?" Ai and Kai said it simultaneously.

Ai smiled a bit before telling her that she was proud of her.

"Your dance at the preschool event... was wonderful. You know, I was thinking that maybe you'll become an idol one day, too. Mother and daughter performing together... Sounds fun, doesn't it?"

Then Ai looked down at Aqua.

"Aqua, will you be an actor? I wonder... How kind of adults you'll grow up to be..." She turned her face towards a picture of Aqua, Ruby, and herself.

"Aw, I'd like to see you with your school backpacks... And on parents' day... I want people to say, 'Isn't she a bit young to be Ruby's mother?'. As the two of you grow up, I want to be there to see it."

Her voice started to crack and became raspy. Tears formed under her eyes.

Kai stood there, watching the scene. It was as if there was an invisible force that held him in place.

He, too, began to cry as well.

"Not that I was the best mom or anything... but I'm glad I gave birth to you. And also... ah, I gotta to tell you this." The idol turned her body slightly as she placed her hand on the door.

"Ruby... Aqua..."

"I love you."

Silence.

"Ah, I was finally able to say it. I'm sorry.... it took so long." Ai smiled shakily. Aqua's eyes widened.

"I'm so relieved. Those words... definitely not a lie." Her tears fell to the ground, as did Kai's body. He tried to caress her face, even if he could not touch her. Ai then put her hand on Aqua's face, caressing it one last time.

Kai looked at her starry eyes shakily. Those star eyes that he adored so much. Slowly, the shining eyes started to disappear as her hand on Aqua also started to slip as well.

Kai gasped as he stared back at her face. Her smile was still plastered on her face.

He saw his reflection in her eyes as it disappeared completely. His heart dropped. Now, it was gone. Forever.

At that moment, fear became

Despair.

Trying desperately to redo a misplaced button

Her smile.

But no matter how hard I try, it doesn't go well

Protecting her.

Plagued by frustration and irritation

How weak he was.

Plagued by unfathomable inferiority

Needing help from Shallot, Trunks, Goku. He can't do things himself.

I was being dependent on pleasure

Being 'Hero' blind him from the truth.

Born from ridiculing others

He was weak.

His eyes darkened as he closed his eyes and opened them again. Now, his emerald-blue eyes were replaced by a purplish-blank colour.

Disquieting news that makes you want to avert your eyes

Is constantly streaming

Why are people so weak and foolish?

His purple aura burst from his body, and the surrounding area began to crack as well. His blond hair became dark again, but this time it had a purple tint on the edge.

Who the hell am I?

Was he's becoming what he feared? A destroyer rather than a protector?

Who the hell are you?

Was this power the real 'Kai'?

My heart is in agony

This power is a curse to him, ripping away what he try to love and protect.

By the words I muttered to myself in the mirror

And I even lost sight of 'ME'

Kai let out a feral scream as an Oozaru roar was heard too. His surroundings cracked and disappeared, and in front of him were a smirking Towa and a shocked Mira. That omnious presence radiating from Kai resonates with his powers too. He was feeling stronger by the minute.

By enduring the true self with a mask of a smile

No expression was on his face. Lifeless, like a puppet.

What worst was that the fabric of space started to rip open, releasing large mass of energy only for Kai to absorb.

"Oh at last..." Towa chuckled softly.

"Despair has awoken."

______________________________________

-Time Nest-

"It's been quiet lately. Too quiet." Trunks said this to the group consisting of Elder Kai, Chronoa and Ace.

Elder Kai nodded. "I normally like things quiet, but this is making me nervous."

"Maybe we should take action." Suggested Chronoa.

"Uh, what sort of actions?" Asked Trunks and Ace.

"I have been thinking about that Masked Saiyan." Chronoa continued.

"Didn't he turn out to be Bardock?" Elder Kai asked, puzzled.

"Unlike the others, I can't imagine Bardock working with Mira. There was something about him... Almost like he was under mind control." Chronoa explained it to them.

"Mind control? So you think that if we free him, he might join our side?"

"Exactly! And if he still has his memories of when they did this to him, he should be able to tell us their plans." Trunks said it with determination.

"Guess we have to beat him into a pulp, huh?" Ace grinned widely.

"But how in the world do we go about finding him?" Elder Kai asked once more.

"If we find out when Bardock vanished, Towa and Mira should be there too. Then, that's what we do." Chronoa said to Trunks.

"Let's get into i-"

"Supreme Kai of Time!!" A namekian with blue gi and a demon emblem mark on his back yelled for Chronoa.

"Huh? What is it, Kampo?"

"The fabric of time and space was ripped open! The cause is not confirmed yet. Now, many timeline were also having the same issue!"

"WHAT?!" Chronoa screamed fearfully. What was happening right now?

Before she could take a step forward, a bright light appeared in front of her as three figures came out of the light. Chronoa watched as the three dropped to the groumd.

"Ai? Aqua? Ruby? What are you guys doing here? Where's Kai?" Chronoa helped Ai stand up, as Aqua gasping for air and immediately said,

"Kai was captured by two demons." Trunks, Elder Kai, and Chronoa's eyes widened in response.

"Oh no..." Their faces turned to fear.

"What is it, Supreme Kai of Time?" Ace asked her.

"Kai..... The fabric of time and space..... was caused by his power..."

"Ace! Go to Conton City, now! Dispatch all the Time Patrols available to fix the fabric of time and space." Chronoa gave an order to Ace, who nodded quickly and went to Conton City immediately.

"Aqua, can you explain it to me?" Trunks said to Aqua, who nodded.

Chronoa healed Ai's injury, as well as Aqua, as he explained everything.

Chronoa spoke to them in a serious tone.

"This is bad, really bad....."

"....We need to stop him."

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So what did you guys think about this chapter? Feel free to comment and don't forget to vote. Bye!