Chapter 6 - Seeking Execution

Mitarashi sipped her tea as she sat outside beneath a cherry blossom-like tree. A cool breeze brushed against her yellow cheeks, causing her white, wavy locks to sway gently in the air. Moments later, the princess approached her carrying a plate of flaky snacks.

“Mitarashi, I brought some snacks to accompany your tea,” the princess offered.

“Oh, thank you. I've troubled you enough already,” Mitarashi replied gratefully.

“No worries, it's my job! So... is Lord Black feeling any better? He fell asleep after drinking the medicine you told me to give him,” the princess inquired as she picked up her own cup of tea.

“He isn't awake yet, but he will be soon,” Mitarashi assured her.

In the distance, a small ship emitting a reddish glow approached the atmosphere of Goku Black's planet. Mitarashi simply observed it without uttering a word, her eyes fixed on the strange vessel as it slowly descended through the planet's atmosphere. The princess also noticed the ship drawing closer to the god's home. She quickly moved beside Mitarashi to determine whether the unexpected visitor posed a threat or not.

Mitarashi stood up, followed by Nia, and walked slowly toward the ship as it prepared to land. Its crab leg-like landing pads extended from the body of the vessel. Mitarashi handed her cup to the princess and clasped her hands over her abdomen, her feet together as she always did.

A small door opened on the side of the ship directly in front of where the two stood, and a ramp-like pathway extended from its body, landing on the lush grass below. Powerful winds from the ship sent petals, leaves, and dust swirling through the air. Mitarashi's hair and gi fluttered like a flag, while Nia's hair ornaments and skirt whipped about so violently that she shut her eyes and hid behind Mitarashi, hunching her back. Twigs, leaves, and dirt spun around the landed ship in unpredictable directions.

Despite the chaotic clanking of the machinery and the powerful gusts generated by its turbines, Mitarashi remained unfazed. Even upon closer inspection, the ship appeared old and rusted. Nevertheless, she stood ready to face whoever this unwanted visitor might be on her lord's planet.

A strange figure emerged from the ship: a tall yet very thin man with a grayish complexion clad in a spacesuit, accompanied by a shorter, equally thin woman of the same complexion. They carefully stepped onto the ramp but were too weak to continue. Both collapsed and rolled down the incline.

Mitarashi and Nia were shocked and immediately rushed forward to help the two aliens. Mitarashi sensed that both were injured in various places. Meanwhile, Nia hurried inside and laid out a mat in the living room along with pillows and blankets for the couple. Mitarashi carefully carried them inside one at a time. She was surprised that despite their height and size, they were remarkably light.

Once the couple had been settled onto the makeshift beds, Mitarashi turned to the princess.

"Nia, could you please brew something? Perhaps a medicine that restores energy?"

"Oh! I have some ginseng preserved in honey in the pantry. It's excellent for recovering energy quickly!" the princess replied cheerfully.

"Yes, please make that into a warm tea," Mitarashi requested.

She filled a bowl with water, soaked a towel, and gently placed the cool cloths on the couple's foreheads.

"What is going on? Why is it so loud outside?"

Goku Black descended from his bedroom wearing a night robe.

"Oh? Who are these mortals sleeping in my living room?" he asked with visible annoyance.

Mitarashi quickly stepped in front of him and knelt.

"My lord, forgive my rash actions. However, these two mortals arrived on your planet and landed just outside your dwelling. When they attempted to disembark, they collapsed and have remained unconscious until now. I believe this was the proper way to handle the situation. If I am mistaken, please correct me."

She spoke with conviction and sincerity.

Goku Black merely crossed his arms without changing his expression.

"I never knew my house would become a hospital without my knowledge," he remarked with dismay. "I destroy. I do not extend the lifespans of weak mortals."

He walked past Mitarashi, who remained kneeling. Nia hurriedly placed a freshly brewed cup of tea before her lord as he sat at the head of the dining table.

As he sipped his tea, a groan from the living room caught his attention. He paused, set his cup down, and turned toward the source of the sound. The male alien was stirring, groaning as though in pain. Mitarashi attempted to determine the source of his injuries while Nia rushed over with a steaming cup of ginseng tea.

Goku Black folded his arms and silently observed.

Moments later, the woman regained consciousness and began coughing violently. Mitarashi and Nia comforted the pair as they helped them drink the tea.

"Who are you...?" the man asked weakly.

"We are the servants of the God of Destruction of this universe," Mitarashi replied soothingly as she spoon-fed him some tea.

"The God of Destruction...? We've finally arrived..." the woman murmured weakly as Nia helped her sit upright.

"What do you want from me?" Goku Black asked coldly, leaning against the wooden divider between the living room and dining room. His arms were crossed, and his eyes seemed to pierce through their souls.

Upon seeing the divine being before him, the man rolled off the bed despite his condition. Throwing aside the blanket, he crawled toward the god, trembling the entire way.

Mitarashi and Nia watched in shock as the weakened man crawled like a desperate animal seeking refuge.

"My lord, God of Destruction, Lord of Obliteration, King of Annihilation, and Master of Extermination—I, I'Laki, bow before your divine greatness!"

The man pressed his forehead against Goku Black's feet in worship.

The god appeared surprised by such devotion.

"Speak, mortal. What is it that you seek from me?" he asked bluntly.

I'Laki carefully raised his head.

"My lord, I seek your destructive mercy. I ask that you destroy our planet—La'Pili."

"What...? You want your planet destroyed?" Nia exclaimed in shock.

"What a strange request," Mitarashi said with concern. "Most mortals beg Lord Black to spare their planets. Yet you ask for the opposite."

Goku Black remained unfazed.

"Why?" he asked. "Why do you want your planet destroyed?"

The woman crawled beside I'Laki and bowed.

"My lord, our homeworld has become corrupted. Nature has been destroyed. Everyone starves. Everyone is poor. The wealthy exploit the weak and keep many as slaves. We no longer wish to live this way."

Tears filled her eyes.

Without a word, Goku Black walked around them and sat upon his throne at the far end of the living room. The two mortals crawled after him.

Mitarashi and Nia pitied them and helped them sit before the god.

"Is this your idea alone?" Goku Black asked curiously as he brushed his fingers through his hair.

"No. Our entire community agreed that it would be better to die with dignity," the woman replied sadly. "The ship we used to reach your planet was stolen by our community so that we could seek you out. Everyone else returned to spend time with their families before you eradicate us all."

Goku Black stared at them blankly.

"Being destroyed by a god, a foreign object, or one's own hand is all the same. There is no dignity in it. There is only death."

He leaned back against his throne, resting his arms upon the armrests.

“So your people agreed that it would be better for your entire race to be erased along with your planet?” Mitarashi asked as she knelt beside I'Laki.

“In fear of the cycle repeating? Yes. The ship we used to come here was stolen by our community so that we could find your planet, my lord. Everyone else returned to their families to spend time with them before you eradicate us all...” I'Laki replied, tears welling in his eyes and desperation evident in his voice.

Goku Black stared at them silently before standing and walking toward the nearest window. He gazed at the beautiful scenery surrounding his dwelling and caught sight of his own reflection in the glass.

“You forgot to describe one thing about me earlier, mortal,” he said without turning around. He clasped his hands behind his back and stood tall. “I am Justice incarnate.”

“I have dreamed of this moment—of mortals realizing their mistakes and begging me to end their suffering and exterminate the filth plaguing the multiverse. Yet I never expected such a dream to become reality.”

He spoke while staring into the distance.

“Your planet must be truly repulsive if you ask for death so readily from a deity,” he added with a faint smirk on his lips.

“Mitarashi, change me. I'd like to visit their hideous planet.”

Goku Black turned his head toward Mitarashi, who remained kneeling beside the two mortals.

“Yes, my lord.”

Mitarashi stood and prepared to follow her master.

“If you intend to exterminate our race, then you must include us by killing us first!” I'Laki pleaded.

“No one's getting killed for now. I simply want to see how horrible your wretched planet truly is,” Goku Black snapped back irritably as he headed upstairs to change.

A few moments later, Mitarashi prepared freshly washed clothes for the destroyer. As Goku Black dried his hair with a towel, the silence lingered between them until he finally spoke.

“This isn't a trap, is it?” he asked.

“Their injuries aren't self-inflicted, and both are severely dehydrated from their long journey through the vacuum of space. The desperation in their voices leads me to believe they are telling the truth,” Mitarashi replied as she gently wiped his back with a clean towel.

“I understand your doubts, my lord. After all, what sane mortal would wish for the extinction of their race and the destruction of their home planet?”

Goku Black paused thoughtfully.

“I have slaughtered billions of mortals during the Zero Mortals Plan. Every one of them begged for their lives, their families, and their planets. This situation is unlike anything I've encountered before.”

He reflected on his past experiences.

“I believe it would be wise to observe the planet before deciding to obliterate it. What if these two are the only ones who wish for its destruction? If you understand what I mean, my lord.”

Mitarashi carefully fastened the collar of his outfit.

Soon, they arrived at the planet that had sought his destructive mercy.

Mitarashi summoned an orb-like sphere of energy between her cupped hands. The glowing orb revealed the planet as it once was. Vast green and pink forests covered its surface, while blue and yellow rivers and oceans shimmered beneath a brilliant bluish-pink atmosphere. Countless forms of life flourished across the world, creating a vibrant and thriving ecosystem.

The two gazed at the image in awe.

Then Mitarashi lowered the orb and altered its display to show the same planet several thousand years later.

The contrast was staggering.

The lush forests had become barren wastelands. The colorful rivers and oceans had turned murky shades of brown and gray. The once-brilliant atmosphere now glowed with an eerie crimson hue. Smoke and pollution from massive industrial complexes scarred the world, accelerating its destruction almost as soon as its civilization had entered the industrial age.

Goku Black frowned in disgust. He crossed his arms and furrowed his brows as they observed the planet from several kilometers above its exosphere.

Slowly, the two descended toward the surface.

To their surprise, the mortals had not exaggerated.

Everywhere they looked, countless people suffered in miserable conditions. Clean drinking water was scarce. The air reeked of pollution, decay, and disease. Endless slums stretched across the landscape.

In truth, most of the planet had become a slum.

The few remaining fertile lands were owned by powerful corporations and organizations that exploited the rest of their own race for profit.

Goku Black covered his nose with one hand as the stench of the place churned his stomach. Beyond the severe lack of food and clean water, the inhabitants suffered from poor hygiene, which spread disease throughout the population and claimed many lives in homes constructed from little more than garbage and scrap.

Suddenly, an elderly woman noticed them. Her eyes widened when she recognized the attire of the god before her.

"Y-You must be the God of Destruction! Are you here to finally eradicate our planet?" she asked as she dropped to her knees on the muddy road.

"I am," Goku Black replied. "But no. I'm merely observing whether your planet is worthy of eradication."

The god looked at her with confusion and disbelief. The locals truly desired their own destruction at his hands.

"Why won't you do it?" the old woman pleaded.

"I am the one who decides whether your world is destroyed or not!" Goku Black snapped.

He turned away from her, and Mitarashi silently followed.

After seeing enough, Goku Black decided to return home with Mitarashi to finalize his decision.

When they arrived, the two visitors were asleep on their makeshift beds in the living room, while Nia was busy preparing a meal large enough for five people.

Goku Black walked onto the terrace of his dwelling and settled onto a sofa beside the railing. Crossing his arms, he closed his eyes and lowered his chin. A gentle breeze combed through his hair and brushed against his cheeks while the warm afternoon sunlight rested upon the back of his head.

Mitarashi stood nearby, patiently waiting for her master's judgment.

Finally, he spoke.

"I could destroy that planet with a single snap of my fingers. However, there are mortals there who do not deserve such a fate."

Mitarashi was taken aback by her master's words.

Goku Black was infamous for slaughtering billions in his pursuit of justice and the eradication of evil. Some would call him a lord of genocide and deicide on a multiversal scale. What had happened to the prideful, narcissistic god who had stolen a Saiyan's body and become Goku Black?

Yet she remained silent, waiting for him to elaborate.

"Zamasu is going to beat me senseless if I destroy that planet without his permission—or simply because mortals asked me to. Those people have lost something that most mortals possess during times of crisis..." He paused and placed the back of his hand beneath his chin. "I've simply forgotten the word."

"Hope, my lord," Mitarashi replied softly. "The word you're looking for is hope."

"Yes... that. Hope."

Goku Black leaned back against the sofa, his voice unusually gentle.

Then a memory resurfaced.

He remembered battling Trunks on Earth. The Saiyan hybrid had fought desperately to protect his world and its people. Their conflict had stretched on for more than a year. Despite his injuries and dwindling strength, Trunks never stopped resisting.

One day, during another battle, Goku Black saw Trunks attempting to flee aboard a ship. Painted across its yellow hull was a single word written in large letters:

"HOPE!!"

At the time, he had paid it no attention.

Only now did he begin to understand.

For so long, Goku Black had been consumed by his power, his pride, and his obsession with justice that he had forgotten the meaning of hope. Such a simple four-letter word, yet perhaps one of the most powerful concepts in existence—second only to love.

Though truthfully, he still did not understand love either.

"So what you're saying is that there is still hope for those people?" Mitarashi asked curiously. "That you're considering sparing some of them?"

"I think I need to consult Zamasu on this matter."

Goku Black stood.

"Take me to his planet."

"Of course, my lord."

Mitarashi bowed and complied.

Together, they departed for Zamasu's world.

Upon arriving, they were greeted by Tatsu, who immediately bowed.

"Master is currently in the tea room taking a break," he informed them calmly.

He then guided the two visitors through the dwelling toward Zamasu.

They found Zamasu seated in the tea room, reading a book while sipping tea and enjoying the snacks Nia had prepared for them to bring home. He looked up from his reading and smiled upon seeing Goku Black and Mitarashi standing before him.

"Oh, Black! Mitarashi, you're here. Come, have a seat. Is there something you need?" he asked warmly.

"I'm here to consult you about something. As a Supreme Kai, your perspective is valuable, and as I promised, I will always seek your counsel whenever I feel uncertain about destroying a planet," Goku Black explained as he and Mitarashi took their seats across from Zamasu.

"Of course. What's going on?" Zamasu asked, setting down his teacup and leaning forward with interest.

"Two mortals arrived on my planet aboard a ship. They begged me to destroy their world—and their entire race along with it. They believe their civilization has become so corrupted by greed that even the innocent should perish to prevent the same mistakes from being repeated."

As he spoke, Mitarashi summoned the orb and presented it to Zamasu, allowing him to witness the planet's history firsthand.

"I visited the world myself. What I found was the complete opposite of what it once was when its civilization first began to flourish."

The orb displayed the vibrant, thriving world of the past before transitioning into the polluted wasteland it had become.

"You see, I could destroy that planet easily," Goku Black continued. "Yet I feel uneasy about condemning those who bear no responsibility for their race's downfall."

Zamasu's eyes widened.

The level of mercy Goku Black was showing toward complete strangers surprised him. Even Mitarashi, who had already heard these thoughts, still found herself astonished by her lord's reasoning.

"Black..." Zamasu began carefully. "You shouldn't become personally attached to mortals. Nor should you pity them. They asked for destruction. If that is their wish, then grant it. You are a God of Destruction."

"I know," Goku Black replied quietly. "But something clicked inside me."

His gaze fell to the cup of tea Tatsu had served him.

"What is it?" Zamasu asked, concern creeping into his voice.

"I've never encountered a civilization that lacks hope the way they do," Goku Black admitted. "They've completely given up. They've stopped believing that they can improve their world—or themselves."

He paused, gathering his thoughts.

"If I destroy simply because I want to, or because someone asks me to, then what kind of god am I? What kind of gods are we?"

He looked directly at Zamasu.

"Wasn't that the very reason we rebelled against Gowasu? We grew tired of his hands-off approach toward civilizations that refused to grow and improve."

His voice grew stronger.

"We are gods! We finally have a universe of our own to oversee. We have an opportunity to prove to every other deity that a Destroyer and a Supreme Kai working together is more effective than either working alone."

Passion burned in his eyes.

"We're no longer pursuing the Zero Mortals Plan. Our responsibility now is to guide civilizations toward becoming better societies."

The speech left Zamasu stunned.

His mouth hung slightly open, and his eyes widened in disbelief. Never had he expected to hear such words from the God of Destruction himself.

Beside them, Mitarashi spoke softly.

"A God of Destruction should not form attachments. However, that does not mean they cannot value what they have gained before ascending to divinity."

Zamasu slowly collected himself.

He glanced down at his now-cold tea before lifting his eyes to meet Goku Black's determined gaze.

A smile formed on his lips.

"You're right," he admitted. "Thank you for reminding me."

He leaned back in thought.

"Indeed, Gowasu's lack of involvement was one of the primary reasons we rebelled against him. Now that we are gods, perhaps we can fix something. Not everything—but at least something."

His voice carried a renewed sense of inspiration.

Goku Black returned the smile.

"So, what do you think we should do about this, Zamasu?"

The Supreme Kai considered the question for a moment.

"Well... the planet itself is beyond saving. Centuries of abuse have pushed it past the point of recovery. However, perhaps there is another solution."

He folded his hands together.

"I could create a new world for them—a pristine planet similar to what their home once was. We separate the innocent from the corrupt, relocate the innocent to the new planet, and then you may dispose of the remaining filth however you see fit."

Goku Black's eyes lit up.

"That's honestly brilliant."

He nodded enthusiastically.

"Let's do exactly that. You're good at this."

Mitarashi immediately gave her master a sidelong glance.

"Did you just compliment yourself, my lord?"

Goku Black crossed his arms.

"We're separate individuals now. Despite him once being me, I wouldn't have come up with that solution."

"That is true," Zamasu agreed with a small chuckle. "Our roles are the opposite of what they once were."

He scratched the back of his head sheepishly.

"And perhaps that difference is exactly why this partnership works."

Goku Black and Mitarashi eventually returned to his planet, where they were greeted by the two mortals, who were helping Nia gather berries from the bushes surrounding his dwelling.

"It seems your energizing tea worked remarkably well, Princess," Mitarashi remarked.

"Yeah, I'm glad it did," Nia replied cheerfully.

"Welcome back, my lord."

The princess quickly knelt in respect before her master.

"My lord, how did your visit go?" she asked.

"Bring those two mortals to the living room. I have matters to discuss with them," Goku Black commanded.

"Certainly!"

Nia immediately hurried off to fetch the pair.

The God of Destruction took his place upon his throne while Mitarashi set a freshly brewed cup of tea on a small table beside him. He picked up the cup and took a slow sip as he waited.

A few moments later, I'Laki and his companion arrived with Nia and respectfully knelt before him.

"My lord, is there something you wish to discuss with us?" I'Laki asked nervously.

"I have spoken with the Supreme Kai—what mortals often refer to as a Creator God," Goku Black began in an emotionless tone. "He proposed an alternative regarding your request to destroy your homeworld."

"W-What did he say, my lord?" I'Laki asked anxiously.

Goku Black slowly swirled the tea in his cup before answering.

"He suggested that your people separate the innocent from the corrupt. Once that is accomplished, he will create a new planet where the innocent may begin again. After every innocent individual has been relocated, your original world will be destroyed along with the remainder of your corrupted civilization."

The two mortals exchanged stunned glances.

Goku Black leaned back against his throne.

"Now let me ask you this: do you agree to these terms? If not, I will honor your original request and eradicate your entire race—including you and your partner."

The seriousness in his voice left no room for doubt.

I'Laki lowered his head and fell silent, carefully considering the God of Destruction's offer and what it would mean for the future of his people.

As the two mortals pondered their decision, Goku Black sighed.

"Mitarashi, I'm hungry. Tell Nia to prepare a meal for me."

"Yes, my lord."

Mitarashi gave a slight bow before turning toward the kitchen, where Nia was already beginning preparations for the god's meal.

Meanwhile, the two mortals remained kneeling in silence, weighing the fate of their civilization and the choice that now rested before them.