Kibito furrowed his brow, feeling this mortal was utterly disrespectful. Just as he was about to speak up, the East Supreme Kai raised a hand to stop him. Kibito looked at him in surprise, only to find the Supreme Kai staring at Taro, who was once again attempting to draw the sword, with a look of astonishment.
"Just who… is he?" the East Supreme Kai murmured, eyes shifting as he tried to sense the energy of the mountain sealing the sacred sword. He could sense that the moment Taro reached for the sword's hilt again, his entire aura had somehow fused with the mountain. "What kind of ability is this? I've never heard of any mortal being able to manipulate the energy of the Supreme Kai Realm…"
At that moment, nothing else existed in Taro's world. With one hand gripping the hilt, his own energy aligned seamlessly with that of the mountain. Compared to him now, Gohan's method of drawing the sword in the original story seemed crude to the extreme. Taro didn't exert much force—instead, his energy flowed in a brilliantly subtle pattern, guiding and stirring the mountain's ki, loosening the seal that bound the Z Sword.
Crack… crack… crack…
The sword, which hadn't budged even a hair despite Taro's earlier full-force attempt, actually began to shift. Inch by inch, he pulled the blade from the stone atop the mountain. The brilliant silver of the sacred sword's blade gradually revealed itself.
Kibito was utterly dumbfounded, as if witnessing the most impossible miracle on Earth. He stammered, "H-how can this be?! A mere mortal this weak… how could he possibly move the Z Sword?! Even the Supreme Kai couldn't…"
The East Supreme Kai was just as stunned. Unlike Kibito, however, he had sensed something extraordinary earlier, realizing this mortal was anything but ordinary. But to see him truly pulling out the sword—this was still far beyond expectations!
What shocked them both even more was that Taro's aura wasn't particularly intense as he drew the sword—no stronger than during his earlier attempt. In fact, it was even weaker than before! This defied all logic. How could a weaker being accomplish what stronger ones could not?
Taro didn't care what they were thinking. Once he felt the sword loosening, he continued to sever the connection between the seal and the mountain's essence. Bit by bit, he pulled the Z Sword free until, with a sweeping motion, it came completely loose. The mountain beneath their feet, now stripped of the sword's stabilizing influence, crumbled into ruins with a thunderous crash.
"So heavy…"
Taro frowned as he floated above the mountain's rubble. Caught off guard by the sword's weight, he nearly lost his balance. It really was as heavy as Gohan once complained. Taking a deep breath, Taro surged his ki, white flames flaring around him as he finally managed to hold the sword steady in his grasp.
"You… you actually pulled it out…" Kibito's eyes bulged. To him, this mysterious mortal had completely shattered all sense of logic and understanding.
The East Supreme Kai took a deep breath to calm the waves in his heart and asked gravely, "Then… the so-called 'old man' you said lives inside the sword—what is that all about? To be honest, even though I'm the Supreme Kai, I've never heard of any 'old man' being sealed within the Z Sword. I think you owe us an explanation…"
"Besides being a martial artist, I'm also a mage," Taro replied calmly, glancing at the sword in his hand. "Due to some unusual circumstances, I've seen many strange visions in my dreams. That's how I learned some secrets unknown to the world. I happened to be passing by, so I figured… I'd take the opportunity to meet the elder sealed in the sword and discuss something with him."
His right arm, gripping the sword, was visibly more swollen than the left. That sword was ridiculously heavy.
"Nonsense!" Kibito immediately rejected the explanation. It was absurd.
The East Supreme Kai squinted, neither believing nor denying Taro's claim. Instead, he asked, "Then how did you even get to the Supreme Kai Realm? Earlier, it seemed you had Instant Transmission… but you shouldn't have been able to arrive here unless you already knew our location—and you've never even seen either of us."
"The Dragon Balls," Taro answered without hesitation. "I come from a planet called Earth in the North Galaxy. It has seven mystical Dragon Balls that can grant any wish. I gathered all seven, summoned the dragon, and wished to come here."
Kibito was once again struck dumb. "The Dragon Balls?! The Namekian artifacts?!"
"I wouldn't know about that." Taro shrugged. There was no point in explaining everything in detail—it would just be a waste of breath.
But at the mention of "Earth, North Galaxy," the East Supreme Kai's eyes twitched. If he remembered correctly… wasn't that the very planet where Majin Buu's egg had been sealed? He hadn't expected Earth to also have Dragon Balls, something that should only exist on Namek…
Taro gave a small smile. He knew these two still didn't trust him entirely, but it didn't matter—he wasn't from this timeline anyway. He had no need for their trust.
He raised his free hand, channeled his energy into it, and formed a blade with his palm. Ki surged through his body, rising to its peak. Then, with a fierce roar, he slammed his hand down onto the sword's blade.
"You!!" Kibito flinched in shock. What was this lunatic trying to do?! But then he reassured himself—this was the Z Sword, a divine artifact of legend said to be able to save the universe. No mere mortal could possibly damage it with a single blow—
BOOM!!
Taro, still gripping the sword with one hand, brought his other palm down with full force—and actually broke the sword in two.
Kibito's eyeballs nearly popped out of his skull, his words dying in his throat. Even the East Supreme Kai couldn't remain calm anymore. Never mind how Taro managed it—this was the Z Sword! A treasure of the Supreme Kai Realm! And he just… broke it?!
Taro tossed the broken sword to the ground. The two halves clattered onto the rubble of the fallen mountain.
Not long after, a dry cough echoed from the debris below, followed by a raspy voice grumbling, "Which damn brat did this?! Ever heard of respecting your elders?! Ay, my back…"
An old man with sparse hair crawled out from the rubble. His attire unmistakably bore the trappings of a Supreme Kai. The East Supreme Kai and Kibito locked eyes, both seeing the same look of disbelief reflected in each other's gaze.
"This… this… the old man?!" They turned to Taro.
This is the 'old man' you were talking about?!