Stars' Lament

The entire planet shook violently. Anyone would have called it an earthquake, but this was no ordinary movement of the crust.

Like a lump of wet clay about to be crushed, Vampa gave a muffled groan from deep within its core—the sound low and despairing, as if it were begging for mercy.

The surface suddenly split into enormous fissures. Scalding magma erupted like mad, colliding with the emerald energy surging wildly across the sky and lighting up the lifeless planet as if hell had descended.

The ground could bear no more. Groans came in waves, and countless bottomless black cracks spread across the wasteland like lightning, tearing the entire planet apart.

The distant mountains finally gave way and collapsed with a roar. Boulders thundered into the abyss, raising dust that blotted out the sky.

Dark red magma surged from beneath the ground like a living giant serpent, coiling and winding as it devoured everything in its path. The already desolate wasteland and layers of rock became an endless sea of boiling fire.

The heat distorted the air, and the light blurred in the scorching temperatures.

At the very center of this hellish storm, Broly stood perfectly still.

The ground beneath his feet had long since become a pool of molten rock. Boiling red liquid surged around him, yet not a drop touched his shoes.

The emerald aura around him had long since become more than streams of light encircling his body. It had transformed into an energy storm raging between heaven and earth, spinning and expanding wildly around him until it nearly covered the sky. A third of Vampa's sky had been dyed a strange green.

Along the aura's edge, fine bolts of energy crackled, tearing through the clouds and lashing at the void.

The giant beasts that had once ruled the planet and terrified even the outer reaches of the universe no longer dared approach the edge of the storm.

Before they could get near, an invisible field of force seized and crushed them. They didn't even have time to cry out before the blinding light reduced them to the finest dust in the universe, erasing them completely.

Vampa was wailing. That wasn't an exaggeration; the low hum and tremendous cracking sounds coming from the planet's core could truly be heard.

The solid planet, over three thousand kilometers in diameter, was as fragile as a dry leaf in a storm before Broly's wildly surging power.

The crustal plates shifted, the planet's internal structure crumbled, and even the atmosphere was torn apart by brute force.

It no longer seemed like a whole planet, but a pitiful toy that could be burst apart by the green storm at any moment, scattering into fragments.

Broly's energy continued to spread and expand without restraint, as if it were about to break free of the planet's grip and carry destruction into the distant reaches of space...

***

At the same time, in the Supreme Kai World.

This divine realm of Universe 7 was always peaceful and serene.

The vast lawns looked as if they had been carved from emerald, and rare flowers and plants gave off a gentle glow. In the distance, a waterfall hung like a silver ribbon, yet made no sound at all—not even the faintest splash.

Beside the clear spring, a few smooth stones lay scattered, forming natural seats.

But the people sitting there now seemed entirely at odds with the tranquility around them.

A tense air hung over the gathering. Everyone understood that this was no ordinary meeting—they were the universe's most powerful rulers and guardians.

Whis, the Angel, stood as elegantly as ever.

His long, slender fingers rested lightly on his staff, whose crystal orb glowed with a warm light.

He broke the silence in his gentle, unhurried voice. "There are only forty hours left until the Tournament of Power officially begins."

The tip of his staff touched a blade of grass, as if tapping out the rhythm of some invisible countdown.

"And it seems our team of ten from Universe 7 still hasn't been finalized..."

On a tall rock nearby, Beerus was clearly unable to sit still.

His purple fur was almost standing on end, and his slender tail swished back and forth with agitation, hissing through the air.

He scratched at his neck, his face full of impatience. His narrow pupils tightened as he looked around at the others.

"Hey! Son Goku!" Beerus suddenly fixed his gaze in one direction, his voice rising as his anger boiled over. "Don't just sit there grinning to yourself! Say something! Can't you take this seriously?"

By the spring, Son Goku sat cross-legged, leaning back on his hands as he gazed up at the ever-dreamlike sky of the Supreme Kai World.

Called out by Beerus, he turned his head and grinned, his smile pure and radiant, with a touch of childlike excitement—a stark contrast to the responsibility on his shoulders.

His eyes shone as if stars were burning within them.

"Heh heh heh..." Son Goku couldn't help laughing, leaning forward slightly with excitement. "The Tournament of Power... Mr. Whis said the strongest fighters from the other universes will all be there! Just thinking about getting to fight so many powerful people I've never faced before..." He clenched his fist, his knuckles cracking. "It makes my blood boil! I can't wait!"

"What's there to be excited about?!" Beerus nearly leaped off the rock, flailing his arms so wildly he almost spat as he shouted. "If we lose, the entire Universe 7 will be erased by Grand Zeno! Gone from the multiverse entirely! Do you understand? This isn't your precious World Martial Arts Tournament. This is a fight to the death with the existence of everything—and all of us—on the line! Do you have any idea what's at stake?!"

Son Goku froze at the outburst and blinked. His excited grin faded a little, and realization dawned on his face.

He raised a hand to scratch his messy black hair, still sounding rather casual. "Oh... right. I guess that was a thing. If we lose, it's all over."

"So you really did forget everything!!" Beerus's roar exploded across the tranquil Supreme Kai World like a thunderclap. Even the few clouds floating nearby trembled three times.