Son Goku had absolutely no idea that Kale had just stolen his thunder, and he didn't particularly care either way.
He was too busy examining Kale's new transformed state up close. "Whoa, incredible! So this is Super Saiyan God? If I train hard enough, I should be able to pull it off too, right?"
Vegeta's ears perked up at that — and so did Piccolo's, up on the temple platform.
Ino reached out and waved a hand in front of Kale's eyes a couple of times. Her second daughter watched her with a puzzled look.
"Mm. Not bad — no signs of going berserk whatsoever." She paused, then added, "As for whether this counts as Super Saiyan God... probably..."
Ino hesitated over whether to tell the whole truth. Kale's Legendary Super Saiyan God and a normal Saiyan's Super Saiyan God simply weren't the same thing.
That said, Kale in this form did share some of the outward hallmarks of a standard Super Saiyan God — her muscles hadn't ballooned to grotesque proportions, and she was keeping her head. Both of those were the God Power at work.
Son Goku, Vegeta, and the rest of them had always been about surpassing themselves — today, you break through Super Saiyan; tomorrow, you break through the version of yourself who already broke through Super Saiyan.
Kale was different. Her potential hadn't even been fully developed yet. She was nowhere near the point of surpassing herself.
"This form ought to count as Super Saiyan God," Ino concluded. It was just a label, after all — might as well call it Super Saiyan God. Who knows, it might even help throw off those two old acquaintances she had on the timelines.
On Aeos's end there were only three Saiyans — not nearly enough to pull off the six-hearts ritual for Super Saiyan God. Kuronoa's end, however, had exactly six Saiyans. Not one more, not one less.
You think my daughter is a Super Saiyan God? She's actually a Legendary Super Saiyan God. In a fight, as long as your own battle power sits higher by twenty or thirty percent, that's all you need to completely steamroll someone. The reason Broly feels so suffocating when fighting Son Goku and Vegeta is exactly that — he's always been just that twenty or thirty percent stronger than the heroes. You level up, Broly levels up too, and after the level-up, the Legendary Super Saiyan still plants the ordinary Saiyan face-first into the ground.
Kale was eager to try out her new transformed state.
A brilliant streak of fractured light suddenly dropped down in front of the group. Everyone except Ino snapped to attention, hands raised.
"What do you mean 'ought to count'? Supreme Kai, your knowledge is still lacking — this form is Super Saiyan God." Beerus and Whis stepped out from the scattering light.
"Well, well!" Whis waved at Ino with a smile. Ino gave a small nod in return.
Almost simultaneously, her end received urgent warnings from North Kai, Grand Kai, Supreme Kai Shin, and the Grand Supreme Kai — all urging her not to provoke the Destroyer.
She replied to each in turn: Relax. Nothing serious. Everything's under control.
Beerus waking up at this particular moment was no accident — almost certainly, those two loli acquaintances of hers had been meddling with the flow of time. That was her read on it.
Not that there was much she could do about it. Beerus had been disturbed while dreaming and had simply jolted awake.
As an Apprentice Supreme Kai of Time, she wasn't afraid of a Destroyer. Their divine standings were roughly comparable — a fight? She'd definitely lose... but a fight wasn't what this moment called for.
"An honor to meet you at last, Lord Beerus."
Beerus made a low, indistinct rumbling sound — like a cat purring — which seemed to be something along the lines of "Hello" or "Good morning." Then he turned his gaze to Kale.
"This is Super Saiyan God. I am absolutely certain of that..."
Whis undercut him with cheerful precision: "But you did say earlier that the Super Saiyan God in your dream had red hair. And from what I can observe, Miss Kale's hair appears to be green."
Beerus bristled like a cat that'd had its tail stepped on. "I misremembered — is that not allowed?! Dreams aren't exactly known for perfect accuracy, you know!"
"Beerus..." Vegeta was increasingly regretting having come over to spectate. Childhood trauma surged up from the depths. Sweat beads immediately broke out across his forehead.
He wanted to hide, but he'd been floating openly in midair this whole time — impossible to miss.
Beerus glanced at him sideways, then looked away without a word.
For Ino, his manner was considerably more civil: "Is this your daughter? A very unusual Saiyan... might I have her fight me? I'm rather curious about this Super Saiyan God."
Ino declined without ceremony: "No."
Beerus's expression soured. "Why not?"
"Because no means no." Ino met the Destroyer's eyes directly. "I cannot allow the two of you to fight right now — and I especially cannot allow any trace of a battle to be left here."
Beerus glanced suspiciously at Whis. This female Supreme Kai is saying things I don't quite follow.
Ino held up one finger. "One month from now, my business here will be wrapped up. At that point, I can approve a match between Kale and you. But not now — unless..."
"Unless what?"
"Unless you're willing to move the fight to the Time Nest."
The Time Nest? Beerus scratched at his cheek. The name rang a vague bell.
Whis gave him a subtle shake of the head. You know perfectly well how many friends you have. Fighting on someone else's turf — and then getting ganged up on — don't say I didn't warn you.
Ino smiled pleasantly. "I genuinely can't let the two of you fight here right now. Kale is my trump card on this end..."
Her second daughter straightened up, chest puffed out, looking immensely proud of herself.
"But at the Time Nest, there'd be no issue whatsoever. Lord Beerus — think it over?"
"Something about this feels like a bad idea." Beerus was sharp beneath his rough exterior. A fight with a Super Saiyan God wasn't so urgent that he needed to leap headfirst into a trap. "Fine, I'll wait a month."
Whis had given him a rough outline of Ino's situation earlier. He'd only listened to half of it before his head started hurting.
None of this has anything to do with me. Best to keep well clear right now — I don't need that mess splattered all over me.
He turned to leave with Whis — and came face to face with Chichi in the kitchen, cooking.
The wild game on Mount Paozu was something else in terms of flavor. Goten had earlier hauled a big fish out of the river, and now Chichi was working it with practiced ease, preparing it to serve Ino's party.
"That fish smells rather good, actually. Excuse me — would it be possible for me to...?" Beerus asked Son Goku with perfect politeness.
Son Goku beamed. "Of course! Lord Beerus, please stay for dinner! After we eat, I'd still love to have a match with Lord Beer—"
He never finished the sentence. Vegeta's fist connected with his head before he could, and a massive red lump bloomed on his skull in an instant.
Son Goku turned around with an aggrieved look. What was that for?
Beerus looked down at him with a haughty eye. "You're a Saiyan too? From the sound of it, you seem to be suggesting you'd like to test yourself against me?"
"No no no no! Lord Beerus, this one here is a Saiyan born with a congenital intellectual deficiency! He just says random nonsense all the time — he doesn't even know what he's saying himself! Ha ha ha ha..." Vegeta, haunted by the horrors of his childhood, stepped in front of Son Goku to block Beerus's line of sight, laughing in excruciating awkwardness.
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