Chapter 8: The Calm BeforeThe Storm

Year 788, Universe 7 – The Saiyan Rivalry Continues

The sound of clashing fists and shockwaves echoed across the battlefield as two legendary warriors went head-to-head. The sheer force of their attacks shattered the ground beneath them, sending debris flying in every direction.

"Dammit, Kakarrot!!" Vegeta roared as he ducked under a punch and retaliated with a vicious knee to the gut. "Why are you always such a dimwit?! That fight was supposed to be mine!"

Goku, ever the carefree idiot, grinned through the pain. "The early bird gets the worm, Vegeta! You were just too slow, hehehe!"

Vegeta's eye twitched. He was one insult away from turning Ultra Ego out of spite.

"Next time, I fight Goku Black, and you take Zamasu. No arguments!"

Goku crossed his arms, pouting. "Awww, but Vegeta—"

"NO ARGUMENTS!"

The Prince of Saiyans had spoken.

Goku sighed but then brightened. "Alright, alright! Let's just hit the Hyperbolic Time Chamber and train again. Maybe we can finally figure out how to break our limits!"

Vegeta huffed. "Tch, I hate it when you're right."

And with that, the two warriors disappeared in a flash, teleporting straight to the Time Chamber, unknowingly preparing for a far greater storm looming in the multiverse.

---

The Hyperbolic Time Chamber – A Year of Stagnation?

Inside the white void of infinite gravity and time dilation, Goku and Vegeta clashed relentlessly, their battle echoing through the endless abyss.

They unleashed devastating attacks, tore through space with their sheer force, and pushed their bodies to unthinkable limits.

Until—

"Argh!!! We've been here for almost a year, and the progress ain't much!" Vegeta snarled, wiping blood off his chin. "Have you been holding back, Kakarrot?!"

Goku wiped the sweat off his forehead. "Sheesh, I'm not holding back. I think… I think we hit a wall."

Vegeta narrowed his eyes. "What are you suggesting?"

Goku smirked. "Maybe we gotta fight someone stronger than both of us combined to break through!"

Vegeta scoffed. "Oh, yeah? And who exactly do you have in mind? We can't just spar with Beerus or Whis whenever we feel like it!"

Goku rubbed his chin. "Maybe we could fight that Akuma guy…"

Vegeta gave him a blank stare.

"Who?"

"Y'know, the mysterious Saiyan from Universe 9? The one that feels off?"

Vegeta crossed his arms. "Hmph. He's not even on our radar. Besides, what makes you think he's stronger than us?"

Goku grinned. "Call it Saiyan instinct."

Vegeta growled. "Tch. Whatever. Shut up and fight me. We only have an hour left."

With that, the training resumed, their fists colliding with enough force to shake the very fabric of time itself.

Meanwhile—far beyond the reaches of Universe 7…

---

Universe 9 – Akuma's Unchecked Destruction

Unknown Planet, Sector 13

Blood.

Screams.

The sound of bones shattering under overwhelming force.

"ARGH! STOP—AHHHHH!" An alien's cry was cut short as Akuma's fist tore through his chest.

Another tried to beg for mercy.

"NOOOO! PLEASE, I—"

Puchi.

He never got to finish his sentence.

A third, a young child, fell to his knees. "M-Mommy, I'm so—"

Akuma's Ki blast erased him.

He sighed as he floated above the carnage, arms crossed, looking completely unbothered.

"These missions Mohito gives me are boring as hell," he muttered, looking at the pile of corpses beneath him. "The only person worth fighting here is Lord Sidra, and even he barely gives me a challenge."

With an apathetic flick of his wrist, he gathered a massive sphere of Ki in his palm.

"Run! It's The Akuma!!!"

The remaining survivors screamed in terror, scattering in every direction.

Akuma scoffed.

"Can you guys shut up?"

He threw the orb straight into the planet's core—

BOOOOM!

As the world beneath him crumbled into cosmic dust, Akuma teleported to space, watching the fireworks.

"Haah… that never gets old."

For a moment, he paused, staring at the void of space.

"…Do I really need to kill this much?"

A second passed.

Then he grinned.

"Eh, whatever. If they didn't want to die, they shouldn't have been so damn weak."

But then, his grin faded.

His eyes darkened.

"Where the hell are those three?"

His fists clenched.

"They've been hiding from me for too long. Their ability lets them slip through my senses—but I swear, when I find them… I'll kill them."

---

Flashback: The Day Akuma Lost Everything

"Hey, Akuma," Mohito casually said one day, twirling his staff. "Did you know that Planet Sadala was erased?"

Silence.

"Oh, wait—" Mohito smirked, covering his mouth. "Maybe I shouldn't have said anything. Oops."

Akuma froze.

Then—

BOOOOM!

His energy exploded.

His eyes turned wild.

"ARGHHHHH!!!!"

Mohito watched with amusement as Akuma entered a berserk state, thrashing violently, his power skyrocketing.

(Oho? He's getting stronger the more he loses control? How… interesting.)

A dark aura began to envelop Akuma. Hints of silver, blue, and purple crackled around his body.

And then—

Lightning.

A new form.

His muscles expanded, his hair darkened, and his Ki felt unnatural.

"Oh my…" Mohito's eyes sparkled. "This new transformation… it's fascinating!"

But then—

Akuma winced.

His body twitched.

Pain.

It wasn't done evolving.

"Could it be—? Another transformation?! But that's—IMPOSSIBLE!"

Then, suddenly—

SMACK.

Mohito karate-chopped the berserk Saiyan on the neck.

"Alright, that's enough rampaging, you dumbass."

Akuma collapsed, unconscious.

Mohito smirked. "Heh… what a bloodline."

---

Back to the Present – An Invitation to Chaos

A beeping sound broke Akuma's silence.

"Tch! What is it now?!"

He answered his communicator.

"Ohoho, you been good, boi?" Mohito's voice rang in his ear. "Guess what? We got an invitation from King Zeno himself!"

Akuma's body froze.

The Tournament of Power.

"Lord Sidra wants you to spy on Universe 7."

The moment he heard "Zeno"—

Something inside him snapped.

Memories flooded back.

The truth of his past.

The real reason his race was wiped out.

The betrayal, the pain, the rage.

Akuma gritted his teeth.

His eyes turned cold.

"Heh… finally."

He clenched his fist.

"This universe has corrupted me too much, mother." His grin turned wicked.

"A massacre is coming."

---

Next Time on Ancient Legends…

A fateful encounter in Universe 7.

The Saiyan War begins.

And the Tournament of Power looms…

Find out next time on Ancient Legends!