Transformation

Kast gripped the Z Sword and listened to the others talking. He shook his head inwardly, but his hands began to strain.

Kast furrowed his brow and stared intently at the sword in his hands. The moment he began to pull with all his might, the entire area started shaking.

Soon, the tremors spread all around, and cracks began to appear in the ground.

Though the surroundings suffered extensive damage, the raised platform beneath the Z Sword remained completely unblemished.

Even the sword itself showed no sign of coming loose.

Seeing that the Z Sword hadn't budged, the Supreme Kai's face fell with disappointment.

"W-what? Could even Kast be unable to pull it out?"

Seeing how shaken the Supreme Kai was, Laila tried to reassure him.

"Don't worry. It hasn't come loose yet!"

Sure enough, as Laila finished speaking, the Z Sword in Kast's hands began to move little by little. A slight gap appeared where the sword met the altar.

"It moved! It moved!"

Kibito, who had been watching closely, saw the sword shift ever so slightly. His face lit up with excitement, and he cried out happily.

"What?! Let me see!"

At that, the gloom lifted from the Supreme Kai's face. He widened his eyes, crouched down, and stared at the point where the sword met the altar.

"Just as I thought!"

A slight gap had appeared at the junction.

Seeing it, the Supreme Kai stood up and cheered.

"Keep going! I knew you could do it!"

The others all wore happy expressions.

Laila watched Kast slowly pull the Z Sword free, her face beaming with joy. She turned to the Supreme Kai and said, "Well? Wasn't I right, Shin?"

Shin nodded repeatedly, brimming with excitement.

"Just as I thought! Mr. Kast is the savior of our universe! I deeply regret doubting him earlier."

By now, one-fifth of the Z Sword had been pulled free, and fine cracks had appeared in the raised platform where it had been enshrined.

But then Kast released the sword and straightened up.

"Huh? What's wrong, Mr. Kast?"

Kibito and the Supreme Kai looked at him in confusion, unable to figure out what had happened.

"Yeah, what is it, Kast?"

Laila looked at him, puzzled.

Kast smiled faintly at them. "No, I just think this is taking too long."

"Too long?"

Shin looked confused, unsure what Kast meant.

But Laila explained, "You mean it's taking too long to pull it out like this, right?"

As she spoke, Laila looked at Kast.

Kast didn't deny it. He simply nodded.

Seeing him nod, Shin couldn't help feeling a little speechless.

After all, generation after generation of Supreme Kais had failed to budge this treasured sword even a little, yet Kast had pulled it loose with ease. That was already an incredible feat. And yet Kast wasn't satisfied with the result, complaining that it was too slow. Shin felt awkward in a way he couldn't quite put into words.

Seeing the Supreme Kai's awkward, speechless expression, Kast shook his head inwardly. It wasn't that he wanted to be like this. He'd originally planned to transform into a Super Saiyan before pulling out the Z Sword.

But then he remembered the original story, and couldn't help wanting to compare himself with Gohan.

When Son Gohan was in his normal state, without transforming into a Saiyan, he'd exerted all his strength and still failed to pull it out. Only after transforming into a Super Saiyan had he managed to draw it.

Though Gohan hadn't been able to pull it out in his normal state, there was no reason Kast himself shouldn't be able to. After all, he was much stronger in his normal state than they had been in the original story.

So, driven by a competitive streak, Kast hadn't transformed. He'd tried to pull out the Z Sword in his ordinary state instead.

The result was just as he'd expected: even in his ordinary state, Kast had managed to make the Z Sword budge a little.

Although Kast had managed to loosen the sword slightly, the process was still too slow, and he was starting to get annoyed.

So he stopped, intending to transform into a Super Saiyan and try pulling the Z Sword out again.

"Everyone, move aside."

As he spoke, Kast spread his arms and set his face in a stern expression. With a loud shout, an enormous aura burst forth from him.

"Ah!"

Before Kibito and the Supreme Kai could even recover from Kast's words—

"Boom!"

A violent gust of air exploded outward from Kast, sending them flying.

Laila had already prepared herself after finishing her conversation with Kast. By now, she had flown clear of the platform and was hovering in midair.

In the distance, the Supreme Kai and Kibito, blown away by the gust, quickly made their way over to Laila. They sounded a little aggrieved.

"Why does Mr. Kast just transform without warning? He didn't give us any time to prepare!"

Laila smiled at that. "You're just too slow."

The Supreme Kai felt a little put out by her reply. But as he looked at Kast, his expression gradually gave way to astonishment.

"So this is a Super Saiyan transformation?! Such incredible power—it's hard to believe a mere mortal could contain it!"

Kast had now transformed into a Super Saiyan. His black hair had turned a dazzling gold, and his eyes were pale green. A fierce aura blazed around him, with bolts of lightning flickering through it.

But as Kast gradually settled into this form, the lightning faded away, leaving only the golden aura surrounding him.