CHAPTER 3: A FAMILIAR VOICE

On Beerus's planet, Goku and Vegeta continue to train, their focus on mastering their Ultra forms. Whis observes silently, his staff floating beside him, occasionally giving small corrections. Meanwhile, Beerus snores in a hammock nearby, completely oblivious to their efforts.

Goku stands still, his eyes closed, as Whis's staff moves in front of him. It weaves and swipes in unpredictable patterns, testing his ability to remain calm and controlled. Goku dodges each strike with grace at first, his movements fluid and confident. But as the staff speeds up, his focus wavers.

WHACK!

The staff connects with his head, sending him stumbling.

"Close," Whis comments, his tone light but ever critical.

Vegeta, meanwhile, faces a massive boulder, his hand extended toward it. His mind flashes to Beerus’s words about letting go and embracing destruction. He focuses on that moment when he first tapped into destruction energy—the raw, overwhelming power of it.

A faint purple aura surrounds his hand, flickering and unstable.

"HAAAAAA!"

Vegeta unleashes a burst of energy, and half the boulder disintegrates into dust. He drops to one knee, breathing heavily, his body strained from the effort. Though progress is slow, the resolve in his eyes is unshakable. He glances over to see Goku getting smacked by the staff again.

"Again," Whis says with a faint smile.

Suddenly, a voice echoes through the air.

"Goku!"

The unexpected cry startles the trio. Even Beerus stirs slightly in his sleep.

"Goku!"

"King Kai, is that you?" Goku asks, squinting into the sky.

"I’ve been searching for you and Vegeta everywhere!" King Kai exclaims, his voice panicked and strained.

"What’s going on?" Goku asks, startled.

"There’s no time to explain everything! Something terrible is happening across the universe—planets are being destroyed one after another!"

"Destroyed?!" Goku’s tone shifts to serious.

"Yes, completely devoid of life, left uninhabitable! And it’s spreading faster than I’ve ever seen before! You have to act now before it’s too late!"

Whis, still calm, glances at Beerus snoring in his hammock. "Well, it’s certainly not Lord Beerus."

"And we haven’t heard from Frieza since the truce," Vegeta states, frowning.

"It doesn’t matter who’s behind it!" King Kai interjects. "You two are the only ones I can count on to figure this out! If you don’t stop it soon, the entire universe could be at risk!"

"Alright," Vegeta says, his expression hardening. "We’ll look into it before it reaches Earth—or worse."

"But where do we even start?" Goku asks, his brow furrowed.

Suddenly, both Saiyans tense, their eyes narrowing. A sharp, overwhelming surge of energy ripples through the atmosphere, distant yet undeniable. The air feels heavy, and even Whis's usual smile fades slightly as he takes notice.

"You felt that?" Whis asks, his tone uncharacteristically serious.

"Yeah," Goku replies, his eyes narrowing. "It’s strong. Too strong to ignore."

Goku places two fingers on his forehead, concentrating. "Ugh, it’s too far for me to lock onto an exact location."

Whis steps forward, his staff glowing faintly as he waves it through the air. "No need to strain yourself, Goku—I’ve already pinpointed the source. Shall we take an express ride?" he adds, his usual cheer returning.

"That’d help," Goku says before glancing over at Beerus. "What about Lord Beerus?"

The trio glances at the still-snoring God of Destruction.

"He’ll be fine," Whis says lightly.

"Alright, King Kai," Goku says, "We’ll look into it and figure out what’s going on."

"Good luck," King Kai replies, his voice fading.

Whis raises his staff, gesturing for the two Saiyans to join him. Vegeta places a hand on his shoulder, and Goku eagerly grabs the other.

"I wonder who gave off that energy," Goku says, his excitement building. "They’ve got to be strong."

"After all this training, we’ll see who’s stronger," Vegeta says, his eyes sharp. "Just don’t embarrass yourself, Kakarot."

"Big talk," Goku grins. "Let’s see if you can back it up!"

Whis interrupts their banter. "Shall we? Whoever gave off that energy… it’s divine. They’re not ordinary."

The two Saiyans exchange a determined look, their competitive spirit reignited.

"Let’s go," they say in unison.

With a flash of Whis’s staff, the trio vanishes into the stars, leaving Beerus behind to snore peacefully in his hammock.

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Writer's Note:

And so the journey begins. I was wondering how to bring the two heroes into the fold of this unfolding conflict and why not use the same person I did for Cooler's Wrath and who warned Goku of what was happening in the original Turles movie. The two are on different paths honing their skills, but it'll be a journey of understanding too. The chapter is short, but it's only begun. Stay Tuned next time on Dragonball Super: The Might of King Turles.