The Divine Burden

Consciousness returned to Toji like shards of glass reassembling into a mirror.

First came sensation - the hard ground beneath him, the sulfurous air of Hell burning his lungs through the filters of his damaged Vader suit.

Then sound - distant screams of the damned, the mechanical rhythm of his own breathing apparatus. Finally, memory - the fusion, the battle, the victory.

Bane.

The memories flooded in like a tidal wave: the overwhelming power, the perfect union of raw strength and precise control, the battle against Cumber, the creation energy that had healed Hell itself.

But as the memories settled, Toji instinctively began sorting them, compartmentalizing with immense precision.

Broly's personal memories - his childhood trauma, his years of conditioning under Paragus, the rage that constantly simmered beneath his surface - Toji mentally set these aside. He'll go through them later.

He noted with satisfaction that Bane had understood his unspoken wishes. The fusion entity had carefully filtered Toji's intimate moments with Freeza from what would return to Broly- Bane himself hadn't even looked into the memories himself.

Made sure not to look through them as he erased them for himself also.

This as well alongside any knowledge of Toji's first life - his existence as Samael, his awareness of this world as fiction before his arrival - had been scrubbed from what Broly had gained.

'Good job, kid,' Toji thought, a strange sense of paternal pride toward the being who had briefly existed as a combination of himself and Broly.

(Perhaps a side effect of Bane seeing him as his father?)

He pushed himself to his feet. The golden halo still floated above his helmet, evidence that he was still dead.

"Phenomenal," a melodious voice commented from in front of him

Toji raised his head to see Whis standing behind everyone.

The reaction from the others was immediate and quite dramatic.

Freeza tensed visibly as she turned around, her tail curling defensively behind her as she recognized the Angel. "Whis," she whispered, the name carrying a weight of fearful respect.

Broly growled low in his throat, still disoriented from the fusion and the flood of fragmented memories and thoughts he'd received - glimpses of Toji's life that made little sense without context.

His massive frame shifted instinctively into a defensive stance- recognizing that whoever this is, they are far from weak.

Most surprising was the reaction from Satan and Lady Amaranth. Both immediately dropped to their knees, heads bowed in unmistakable deference.

"Kneel before the Angel, you fools!" Lady Amaranth hissed, her usual crude language notably absent. "The Amaranth commands you to show proper respect to the attendant of the God of Destruction!"

Vegeta's reaction was perhaps the most telling. The proud Saiyan prince paled visibly, his body going rigid as he recognized Whis.

For a moment, it seemed he might collapse, memories of Beerus clearly triggering something akin to PTSD.

Through sheer force of will, he steadied himself, though his eyes remained wide with barely contained panic.

Goku looked around in confusion. "Who's this guy?" he whispered to Piccolo, who merely shook his head, equally bewildered.

Toji, however, showed no surprise at all. "You're right on time," he said, his modulated voice betraying no emotion.

Whis smiled pleasantly, twirling his staff with casual grace. "Of course. I did promise, after all." He glanced around at the assembled group, taking in their varied reactions with mild amusement. "You've certainly made quite the impression, Lord Duskborn."

"Promise?" Piccolo asked sharply. "What promise?"

Whis turned his serene smile toward the Namekian. "Why, that if Lord Toji achieved Godly Ki, he would become the candidate to succeed Lord Beerus as God of Destruction. And in return, I would revive him and facilitate his exit from Hell."

He gestured gracefully with his staff. "A bargain that has been fulfilled on both sides, I believe."

The revelation sent shockwaves through the group. Goku's jaw dropped. Piccolo's eyes widened in disbelief. Vegeta seemed to be struggling to process this on top of his own shock that he already had.

Goku and Piccolo already knew enough about Beerus from Cold and Vegeta to understand how big this is.

Satan's shoulders shook with barely contained laughter. "I knew it," he said, golden chains clinking as he raised his head slightly. "I sensed it from the moment I gazed upon you and saw your actions, Boundary-Breaker. Your goal was never merely escape - it was ascension."

His eyes gleamed with something like pride. "The next Destroyer, come to uplift the universe. Truly, the Dark Messiah of creation."

"Indeed," Whis agreed pleasantly. "That title - Dark Messiah, destructive savior - is the true function of the God of Destruction, though none have embodied it in eons."

He sighed dramatically. "Lord Beerus has become rather... selective in his duties. One might even say lazy."

Toji stepped forward, cutting through the tension. "What happens now?" The mechanical breathing punctuated his question with rhythmic certainty. "Can you revive me right here and now? I don't mean to be rude, but I need to see my son."

Whis's expression softened. "Of course. Family first - a refreshing priority for a Destroyer candidate."

He tapped his staff lightly against the ground. "But before we proceed, I must verify that you - not merely your fusion - have truly achieved the necessary state. Can you demonstrate your Godly Ki?"

Toji nodded once, then stood perfectly still. The mechanical breathing from his helmet grew louder in the sudden silence.

He closed his eyes behind his mask, drawing his white ki inward- having erased the mortal destructive version after achieving Divine Ki.

Unlike the chaotic, destructive black energy he'd previously channeled, this time he sought perfect control - absolute dominance over his power.

He compressed it, refined it, transformed its very quality into something beyond mortal understanding.

As he did so, he imbued it with the essence of destruction.

A deep purple aura, almost black, began to emanate from his form.

The color of destruction, of divine annihilation.

Suddenly though- voices came.

"Lord Duskborn, hear my plea. My daughter wastes away from an illness no healer can cure. If you return as prophesied, save her, I beg you."

"Cold Messiah, my village starves while the governor hoards grain. We have prayed to you every night since your ascension. Return and bring justice!"

"Mighty Savior who defeated the Dragon God, my family was killed by raiders. I have nothing left. I offer my life in service if you grant me vengeance."

"Lord Toji, they say you suffer in Hell for our sins. That you took the punishment meant for us all. Return and lead us to paradise as foretold!"

"Dark Deliverer, the priests say you will transform the universe into Eden when you rise again. Is it true? Will there be no more suffering when you return?"

"Father of the Stars, my children are slaves in the mines. The overseers worship you but ignore your teachings of mercy. Prove them wrong! Come back and free the oppressed!"

"They say you died saving your son from the Dragon God's poison. My son died last winter. Will you reunite us when you return from the dead?"

"The prophecies say your Second Coming will herald the end of pain. How much longer must we wait? How many more must die?"

The voices - millions of them, overlapping, pleading, demanding, worshipping - crashed into Toji's mind like a tsunami.

Each prayer carried weight, expectation, desperate hope. Each believed he could save them, should save them.

Each saw him not as a man but as a divine savior, a messiah who would transform existence itself into paradise.

Toji screamed, falling to his knees, clutching at his helmet as if trying to tear it off. The voices continued, unrelenting, pouring into his mind from across the universe.

"Return to us!"

"Save us!"

"Judge the wicked!"

"Create paradise!"

"You suffer for our sins!"

"We await your resurrection!"

"Oh my," Whis said, quickly stepping forward. He placed his staff on Toji's shoulder, and immediately the godly aura dispersed, replaced by normal white ki. The voices faded as suddenly as they had begun.

Freeza was at Toji's side in an instant, crouching beside him with uncharacteristic concern visible on her features. "What happened?" she demanded, then turned to Whis with fury in her violet eyes. "What did you do to him?!"

"I? Nothing at all," Whis replied mildly. "Merely... overlooked a certain matter."

Toji's hands scrambled at his helmet, unfastening it desperately before throwing it aside. His face was pale, covered in sweat, his eyes wide with shock and revulsion. He gasped for air, bending forward as if about to vomit.

"What..." he managed between ragged breaths, "what did you overlook?"

Whis tapped his staff thoughtfully against the ground. "A side effect of Godly Ki, I'm afraid. When one becomes a god, one hears the prayers of worshippers. And you, Lord Duskborn, are quite extensively worshipped across the universe."

"Worshipped?" Toji's voice cracked on the word.

"Oh yes," Whis confirmed. "Your actions in the Eastern Quadrant- despite how short - have not gone unnoticed. Worlds that once suffered under neglectful governance now prosper. Beings who once lived in fear now know justice. Stories spread, legends grow, and faith follows naturally."

He gestured expansively. "You are the Cold Messiah to millions. The savior who will transform the universe through righteous destruction. Vegeta, Nappa, and those oracles, I believe have had quite the hand in that- though the former two unintentionally."

Toji looked genuinely horrified. "I never wanted that. I never asked for worship."

"Few gods do, at least not initially, especially not you, who never wanted godhood in the first place." Whis said with a small smile. "Lord Beerus had quite the trouble when he began as well. It's one reason he's chosen to become so... obscure. To sleep most of the time."

"Can it be stopped?" Toji asked, still struggling to steady his breathing.

"The prayers can be filtered, with practice," Whis explained. "But the more known you become, the more prayers accumulate. Even Lord Beerus couldn't filter them all if they became too numerous. It's contributed significantly to his preference for prolonged naps."

Freeza's eyes narrowed dangerously. "You knew this would happen," she accused.

"I suspected it might," Whis admitted without a hint of remorse. "But that's a matter for another time. For now, Lord Duskborn needs rest and recovery."

He raised his staff, pointing it directly at Toji. The crystal at its tip glowed briefly, and the golden halo above Toji's head began shattering into particles of light before vanishing completely.

"There," Whis said cheerfully. "Officially alive once more. Do rest now."

Toji's eyes - at Whis's final words - rolled back, and he collapsed forward, unconscious. Freeza caught him before he hit the ground, cradling his upper body with surprising gentleness.

"What's happening to him?" she demanded, genuine concern breaking through her imperial composure.

"Resurrection shock," Whis explained. "Quite normal, especially after such an extended period in Hell, especially with him having resisted the Chains of Heaven for so long, without any sleep. His soul is now finally instinctively recognizing safety, and sleeping. He'll recover after some rest."

Whis looked around at the assembled group. "I believe it's time we returned to the living world. Those who belong there, at least." His gaze swept over Satan, Lady Amaranth, and the ship containing the unconscious forms of Cooler, King Piccolo, and Raditz.

"Before we go," Piccolo said, finding his voice at last, "I need to understand something. You said Toji is now a God of Destruction candidate- that he made a deal, and agreed to it."

"You said Toji didn't want godhood- what did he want, then? Since this deal, whatever it is, was clearly made before he died. Resurrection can't be the only thing."

"Perceptive," Whis acknowledged. "Lord Duskborn sought the position primarily for practical reasons - to heal his injuries and gain power to improve the universe. To him, it was meant to be more of a ceremonial title than actual godhood."

"But he still made the deal with you," Goku pointed out. "He knew what he was getting into, right?"

Whis smiled enigmatically. "Did he? I wonder." His expression grew more serious. "Be careful with him when he awakens. Hell is a place of constant battle, of survival, death, and destruction. Such environments change people, even those as strong-willed as Lord Duskborn."

He turned to Freeza, who still held Toji in her arms. "Your role is especially important, Empress. Gods are lonely beings by nature, but particularly those who never wished to be gods in the first place."

At the questioning silence, Whis sighed softly.

"He chose the power and the position," Whis clarified. "But not the worship. Not the divine burden."

"To Lord Duskborn, from what I understand of his mind and beliefs, worship means being obeyed absolutely in all matters of existence. A relationship between people not just as king and subject, but as god and believer."

"Destroyers and Kais were in the past quite involved in these ways with the people of the universe- though let me not digress. Lord Duskborn essentially believes only a perfect being deserves such obedience, and he knows himself to be imperfect."

"He agrees- no wants to be a Lord, who rules. But he's never agreed to becoming a guide in all matters of life."

Whis raised his staff high. "He sees himself as unworthy of worship, "Whis stated as he chuckled. "Quite the humble notion for such a prideful being."

Light began to emanate from the staff's crystal, expanding to envelop the group and ship in a rainbow-hued sphere.

"Wait!" Paragus called out, stepping forward with Broly- who's detransformed since the fusion ended, close behind. "What about us?"

"You are welcome to join, of course," Whis replied. "Unless you have unfinished business in Hell?"

Paragus glanced at his son, whose expression remained unreadable. After a moment's hesitation, he nodded. "We will come."

The rainbow light intensified, becoming almost blinding.

Satan watched from his kneeling position, golden chains clinking softly as he raised his head. His amber eyes met Toji's unconscious form with an unreadable expression.

"Until we meet again, Boundary-Breaker," he murmured, his voice barely audible over the sound of reality shifting around the group.

And so they disappeared. Leaving only the dead and fallen remaining.

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(Author note: Hello everyone! I hope you all enjoyed the chapter.

Do tell me how you found it.

I hope you like my... twist on 'God' Ki. I personally find it an interesting concept.

Reason Bane never had any prayers is well- Bane is unknown. He lived for a dozen minutes at most.

Toji though - especially because of those oracles, who saw him tear into Hell, and his fight against Slug, who had his own legends that resurfaced after his power appeared within the universe once - has had quite the legends made about him.

So yeah, hope you guys enjoyed, and I hope to see you all later,

Bye!)