After a round of introductions, the Supreme Kai of the East now respectfully referred to the Elder Supreme Kai as Ancestor.
"What an incompetent descendant... I thought the one to awaken me would be a Supreme Kai heir, but to think it's just a mere mortal," the Elder Supreme Kai sighed, making both the Supreme Kai of the East and Kibito flush with shame and embarrassment.
Stroking his chin, the Elder Supreme Kai stared at Taro with his bulging fish-like eyes and muttered to himself, "Magic, huh... sigh, it really brings back unpleasant memories..." As he spoke, he gently touched the pair of Potara earrings hanging from his earlobes, his expression complex.
He then asked in detail how Taro had managed to pull out the Z Sword.
Because he could tell—Taro's power didn't seem especially strong, not strong enough to draw the Z Sword by conventional standards. How strange... Intrigued, the Elder Supreme Kai grew curious.
"It's nothing worth mentioning, just a trivial feat..."
Taro smiled faintly, then with a slight tremble of his body—boom—his inner ki surged forth. His entire being seemed to merge with the very realm of the Supreme Kais. Flames of vital energy blazed around him, intertwining with the natural ki, the earth, the sky, and the vegetation... with the pull of a single thread, all of nature responded.
The Elder Supreme Kai immediately sensed Taro's transformation and was visibly moved. He blurted out, "Divinity?! You've actually... grasped divine radiance?!"
Oh? The current Supreme Kai of the East hadn't noticed this, yet the Elder Supreme Kai could? Taro pondered silently as he quickly withdrew his aura, returning to a calm and ordinary state.
"No wonder... no wonder... It all makes sense now. So, you've actually grasped divinity—no wonder you were able to defy logic and pull out the Z Sword under impossible circumstances! Judging from your aura just now, is your divine path aligned with natural ki?" the Elder Supreme Kai asked, deeply impressed.
Taro nodded in confirmation.
The Elder Supreme Kai tugged at a few strands of his little beard and sighed, "A mortal who has comprehended divinity... heh, it's been ages since I've seen one..."
"A-Ancestor... what exactly is divinity?" the Supreme Kai of the East asked, filled with shame. Just moments ago, he and Kibito had been looking down on Taro, only to learn that he wielded a power they couldn't even begin to understand. What a disgrace—to themselves and to all the Supreme Kais throughout history.
"How has it come to this—how can a Supreme Kai in your generation be so ignorant?" the Elder Supreme Kai scolded bluntly, shaking his head before explaining in a low, thoughtful voice. "Divinity refers to... the innate potential to become a god after fully mastering one's path."
He looked at Taro and spoke solemnly, "In other words... this human named Taro may one day, through his cultivation in natural ki, ascend to become a true god!"
Kibito's jaw dropped, nearly dislocating. "Th-That's impossible... completely unbelievable..." he murmured. This was the first time he'd ever heard of a mortal being able to reach godhood through cultivation alone.
"Would you mind sharing your experience? How did you come to master this divinity?" the Elder Supreme Kai asked Taro.
Taro nodded but said, "I don't mind at all. However, I too have some questions about cultivation that I'd like to consult with you about... that's also part of the reason I came."
The Elder Supreme Kai replied, "I can't help you with your divine path."
Taro shook his head. "It's not about natural ki."
"Oh? Then that's fine."
So, Taro explained how he had come to comprehend the divinity of natural ki during his time on Grand Kai's planet, through the ancient training chamber left behind by a Supreme Kai of the past. The Supreme Kai of the East and Kibito listened intently, fascinated by how a mortal could set foot on the path to godhood—something they had never even imagined before.
And then... an unexpected twist emerged. When Taro mentioned the name of the ancient Supreme Kai from the chamber, the Elder Supreme Kai's expression abruptly changed, turning eerily strange. Taro furrowed his brows and asked, "What is it?"
"'Kavishir'?! Are you sure... that the ancient Supreme Kai who left behind the special training chamber on Grand Kai's planet was named 'Kavishir'?!" the Elder Supreme Kai asked again and again, his expression growing increasingly odd.
Taro, confused, frowned and said, "Yes... if I remember correctly, it was indeed 'Kavishir.'"
Not only had Grand Kai mentioned that name, but even Lord Beerus, the God of Destruction whom he later met on Planet Vegeta, had spoken of it.
There was no way Taro could have misremembered it.
The Old Supreme Kai fell silent for a moment. He glanced at the East Supreme Kai and Kibito, who also wore strange expressions, then slowly said, "But… my name is Kaveshir! And I don't recall ever leaving behind any kind of special training chamber…"
"What?!"
The East Supreme Kai and Kibito were shocked. They looked at Taro, then at the Old Supreme Kai, thoroughly confused.
Taro narrowed his eyes. What did that mean? Could this wrinkled old Supreme Kai before him really be the ancient Supreme Kai held in such high regard by both the Grand Kai and the God of Destruction? This geezer? It just didn't seem possible… Besides, Taro had once seen the shadow of "Kaveshir" in that training room. Even though it had only been a vague silhouette, the figure's bearing and aura were completely different from the Old Supreme Kai.
So… what was going on?
Taro recalled what the Grand Kai had once said about the great cataclysm that shattered the macrocosm and split it into twelve universes…
---
Main Timeline.
Earth, the Lookout.
Kami and Mr. Popo stood in front of the massive time-space machine, their eyes fixed on a seated figure in front of it—Taro's image, sitting cross-legged in meditation. It was a hazy projection, not his real body. The real Taro had already been transmitted into a parallel timeline.
The purpose of this image was to allow Kami and Mr. Popo to monitor Taro's condition. If he were to face extreme danger, the image would become distorted. At that point, they could use the machine to forcibly bring him back and ensure his safety.
Just then, the projection of Taro sitting cross-legged began to ripple like water.
"Not good!" Kami's expression changed as he was about to tell Mr. Popo to begin the recall procedure—but before they could act, Taro's projection completely vanished. Mr. Popo's hand was already on the machine's large dial, but now he stared at the empty space in front of him, unsure what to do.
He tried to turn the dial—no reaction.
Frowning deeply, Kami pursed his lips and sighed heavily. He turned to Mr. Popo and said, "Prepare the Dragon Balls…"
If Taro was truly lost in an alternate dimension, they would have to rely on Shenron's power.
Mr. Popo nodded. "I wonder what Taro's wife will think…"
Kami sighed again. "She's not a weak woman. She should be able to face this with strength. Shenron should be able to find Taro… I just hope he doesn't die in that alternate space. That would complicate things."
With heavy hearts, the two turned and left.
But at that very moment, far beneath their feet, in the deeper levels of the Lookout—inside the Hyperbolic Time Chamber…
A ripple of transparent light shimmered in the pale void. From within it stepped a young man with gray-white hair. As he emerged from the rift, his eyes glowed with an otherworldly brilliance—each bearing a ripple-patterned Rinnegan with nine tomoe.
He looked truly divine.