The entire stadium stood still, their breaths caught in anticipation. Throughout the tournament, Buu had always remained jolly and cordial, like nothing could ever bother or injure him. Even in his previous fights, he’d remained unflappable. Now, however, Buu had removed that mask, revealing his true face.

  Pan stood rigidly in place, like the slightest wrong movement would deal her death. If she still had a working heart, it would have stopped flat.

  “This is Buu,” Uub said, breath caught in his throat.

  “There it is. That’s the Buu I remember. That overwhelming terror of facing a monster of true darkness.” Vegeta twitched, like he was reliving a long-suppressed memory. “Even the stupid, fat one had this quality.”

  “Yeah,” Goku said, nodding. “My heart never raced faster than when we faced him on the Supreme Kai’s planet. It was truly a match for the ages.”

  “So what? It’s still only Buu,” her grandfathers said, unbothered.

  “Only Buu?” Must he always make these stupid remarks? Little Pan seemed just as ruffled, bad memories from the Majin Crisis returning with a vengeance. They’d been so close to destruction because of the other Buu. What would happen when this Buu finally let loose?

  Despite her opponent's unbelievable might, Libra seemed ecstatic at the prospect of facing such a foe, eyes alight with unbridled eagerness. “Finally, a real match.” Her golden, radiant ki flared brighter, taking Pan’s nonexistent breath away.

  “Glad you’re eager for a show!” Buu said, spreading his arms wide and returning somewhat to his old self. “How about we bring this angel crashing down to earth?”

  Before Pan even registered he’d moved, Buu was already on top of Libra. The so-called goddess’ eyes widened in surprise, wincing as she struggled to block the blow. She stared, stunned, at Buu.

  “Did he teleport?” Little Pan asked.

  “No,” Goku said, shaking his head. “That was pure speed.”

  “Holy…” Little Pan swallowed hard. Even her grandfathers had lost his smug expression, watching the exchange with renewed attention.

  Libra blocked a kick that came from seemingly nowhere; the force of the blow almost threw her clear across the ring. All confidence had faded away, leaving Libra unsettled.

  “See, I’m not all magical tricks,” Buu said. “I’m not so out of practice as you’ve assumed. Goku is part of me, remember? Do you really think I’d let myself slip in my training? Shall I turn the notch up even higher?”

  “Fine with me,” Libra said through gritted teeth. “I won’t lose.”

  This earned a smirk from Buu before he disappeared. In response, Libra’s ki flared like a supernova, and she vanished. The arena flashed as the pair engaged, so quickly, it created spots in the observers’ vision. It was a rare moment Pan was glad she was undead.

  They separated, Libra panting as she watched her opponent like a hawk. Buu, of course, remained unbothered, not subject to simple mortal concerns like exhaustion. Her smile was brittle as she observed Buu. “So, this is the power of a devil. I never thought absorbing useless idiots like Vegeta and Goku would make you this powerful.”

  “That must be Bra speaking. She always dismissed people less capable than herself. A product of poor parenting.” Buu shot Pan’s grandfathers a disapproving look. He glared back, unimpressed. “What now? Will you throw a tantrum because the situation isn’t going your way?”

  “You!” Libra’s aura flaring from her temper. “Never. I am a god. We don’t submit to devils!”

  “That’s the spirit. Show me you can fight with your heart.”

  Energy gathered in the palm of Libra’s hand, flaring hot with destructive power. Pan tensed, realizing that Libra had no intention of holding back. If she wasn’t careful, she’d wipe them all out with a careless beam.

  Then, in a flash, Libra placed a finger to her forehead and disappeared, and reappeared behind Buu’s flank.

  She thrust her palm out, pressing it against Buu’s back. Much to Pan’s amazement, ice spread across his body, freezing him in place as Libra gathered the final bits of energy to blow him to pieces. Incredible. She can freeze people while gathering ki?

  “Divine Big Bang Attack!”

  But Buu surprised his opponent—the ice shattered as he split apart like osmosis, causing the blast to shoot harmlessly past both pieces. Then, the pair merged back together again.

  “I praise your ruthlessness, Libra,” Buu said, “But you’re too heavy-handed—and predictable.”

  “Predictable?” Libra gritted her teeth, frustrated that her latest attempt to obliterate her opponent had failed.

  “Grandpa, can she even win?” Little Pan asked. “He just keeps coming back! How’d you even beat him the first time?”

  “It took a Spirit Bomb with the power of everyone on Earth to defeat him. It was one heck of a fight,” Goku replied.

  “For me, all it took was my raw power,” Pan’s grandfathers said rather smugly. “Regardless, it takes overwhelming force to defeat him. I’m likely the only here with the power to do it.”

  “So, is the fight already a loss?” Little Pan asked.

  “Not necessarily,” Goku replied. “I don’t think Libra’s finished yet.”

  “Predictable?!” Libra’s ki flared even brighter than before, radiating like a miniature sun. Everyone but Pan had to flinch away from its brightness. Libra flung herself at her opponent like someone possessed.

  Buu blocked the incoming blow with a fist, but it immediately froze over and shattered as Libra threw her next punch. She was relentless—every time she touched him, the surface froze over. But Buu didn’t seem that concerned, amused by her efforts. He popped her in the chin with a sudden jab, only for the limb to freeze and shatter.

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  “Interesting trick—but a waste of ki, I imagine,” Buu said, pulling away and reforming his shattered hand. “I doubt you can do that much longer. Shall we put that to the test?” Libra flinched as Buu appeared from nowhere, landing a kick in her sternum. It froze on impact, lessening the damage, but she still flinched in pain.

  Like the loss of a limb didn’t matter, Buu continued his assault. Most of his blows froze on impact, but some pierced her defenses. Libra hissed in pain as each blow connected.

  “Gah!” Blood spat from Libra’s mouth as a blow to the ribs connected, staggering her back from the pain. Her eyes widened as four Buus attacked her at once, each landing a flying kick. The whole planet shuddered as his opponent crashed to the ground.

  “Ugh, it’s so unfair he can summon clones of himself like that,” Little Pan said, huffing in annoyance.

  “Those weren’t clones,” Goku replied, giving a firm shake of his head. “That was pure speed on Buu’s part.”

  “No…” Little Pan said, eyes wide.

  “Is he just unstoppable?” Pan said. And this monster was her next opponent?

  “I’m not finished yet.” Libra clutched one arm as she pulled herself from the crater Buu had created.

  “Is that right? I must say, I’m not impressed. This is a power of a goddess? And you’re meant to be our savior?” Buu said, smirking.

  “Why doesn’t he finish her already?” Little Pan said. “Doesn’t Buu have her dead to rights?”

  “Bastard!” The whole arena trembled as Libra’s power flared even stronger. Her posture almost took on an animalistic quality as she pounced on her opponent.

  Pan almost flew away from the shockwave of Libra’s punch, the blow splattering Buu into pink chunks. The pink goo regathered and reformed into a whole Buu just in time to block a blow from below—the sheer might of the punch blew his limb apart.

  “Better,” Buu said, smiling. Lights flashed in a dazzling spectacle as they resumed their fight.

  But Buu kept pushing his opponent harder and harder, meeting her pound for pound. He gathered a ball of ki in his hand and launched it into Libra’s back. She howled in pain as it sent her flying, her body tearing through everything in its path. It left an ugly scar across the tournament grounds. The ball slid off and exploded into an empty section of bleachers. Libra landed face-first in the dirt, her butt hanging in the air in a rather undignified fashion. She quickly drove her head up and spat grit from her mouth. When she scowled and glared at Buu, he wore the biggest, daring grin. She flew at him in a wild rage, only to get knocked aside again.

  “This fight’s over,” Pan said, watching as Libra’s punch missed its target. It wasn’t hard to tell she was wearing down fast.

  “I’m not so sure,” Piccolo-as-Cell Jr. said, arms crossed. “Buu’s been dragging this out since the fight started.”

  “Why would he do that, Uncle Piccolo?” Pan asked, curious.

  “He’s got Goku inside him, remember?” Piccolo-as-Cell Jr. replied, his smile sly. “I suppose he can’t help himself. He wants to fight his opponent at their best. He’s pushing her to see how far she’ll go.”

  “Oh.” Pan was somewhat lost for words. “Like making her go Super Saiyan 2?” Though, it raised the question of why she hadn’t used that form yet?

  “And if she’s like Bra,” her grandfathers said, a hard frown on his mouth. Was it Pan’s imagination, or was there pain hidden behind his eyes? That agony turned to fury, and he gripped his hand tight. “If she loses control, I’ll deal with her.”

  A bit of dread formed in her stomach—or where her stomach should be, at least. “Do you think that might happen?”

  “We’ll have to see,” her father said. “With Bra, anything’s possible.”

  Still, there was the matter of whether Libra could use Super Saiyan 2? Pan frowned, thinking it through. Hadn’t Goten and Trunks gone Super Saiyan 3 in their fusion form, despite not having the power to achieve it individually? And since Bra could go Super Saiyan 2, shouldn’t Libra also have that power?

  “You!” Libra shouted, fuming, as Buu popped her in the face before disappearing again before she could retaliate.

  “Well, she certainly has an incentive to go Super Saiyan 2,” Pan said dryly. And Buu continued to taunt and torment Libra, hoping to push her fury hot enough to achieve a greater level of power.

  But soon enough, Buu tired of this game. “Is this really all you can do?” He gave a dramatic, mournful sigh. “Pity. I unleashed my devilish form for nothing.”

  Libra continued to seethe in impotent fury. The fight was over, and she knew it. Her ki had almost completely diminished, drained by her attempts to kill Buu quickly. She wasn’t helpless—but she wasn’t a danger to Buu, either.

  “Is this the true extent of your justice, Libra?” Buu asked. “You talk big, but you’re nothing but a bully with an over-inflated ego.”

  “Sounds about right,” Pan said snidely.

  “You’re a spoiled child.” Buu turned his back on Libra. “Come back to me when you’ve finally grown up.”

  “Child? Child!” This comment was the last straw—Libra’s temper pushed past the breaking point. Foam spewed from her mouth as she launched a wild punch at Buu’s back.

  But Buu only lifted a hand, and Libra collapsed to the hard dirt floor, her body encased in crystal-like amber. “You’re not the only one capable of freezing people. Though I’m nice enough to allow you to think. Consider long and hard about your future, Libra.”

  “It’s over,” her grandfathers said, sighing.

  “He trapped her so easily?” And this was Pan’s next opponent? She was in serious trouble.

  Buu poked at his opponent’s crystal prison. “Power is only a tool, only wielded with great wisdom and humility. Anything else, and it can easily become an instrument of terror. Forget this omnihero god nonsense. Deep down, who are you, Libra? Bra? The West Supreme Kai? You’re neither. You are a new being. Who do you want to be? Think. I’ll give you time to decide. Announcer. Start the countdown.”

  ///

  Buu’s mocking, contemptible laughter echoed through Libra’s crystal prison, deriding her for daring to oppose him. It reverberated through her very being, tearing apart her very concept of divinity. To this devil, she was a flea, an ant — little else. He had humbled Libra.

  “Beginning the countdown now. Thirty! Twenty-nine! Twenty-eight!” To mock her further, the announcer’s countdown sounded as if he were standing right behind her ear. Buu wanted to hear the full preamble to her defeat.

  How could this happen? How had she so misjudged Buu’s power? Could even her father defeat this monster? Gast’s claim that evil served a purpose in the greater cosmos became even more ludicrous when faced with a monster like Majin Buu.

  Tears of frustration leaked through the crystal encasing her, soaking into her cheeks. Libra was so mad she could scream herself hoarse. But even blinking was impossible — her eyes stinging from the inability to close.

  “Twenty-three! Twenty-two! Twenty-one!”

  Failure. For all of Libra’s power, wisdom, and drive — she’d lost. What happened to her dream? Her dream of a future free of evil, where no one lived in fear of those who delighted in hurting others? Gone. Evaporated. Dispelled like mist.

  What would Buu do with the Dragonballs? Did he even need them? That thought truly frightened her. How long until his universe was unable to contain him? Buu had tasted another world, had traveled outside his home universe. How long until he thirsted to travel and corrupt other realities?

  But that was a pittance next to her failure. The shame of being unable to live up to her word. Her father watched her, eyes filled with pity. Or was that disgust? Once again, he’d shown his dominance over her — that she was lesser in his eyes.

  Failure? Her? Never! She refused to accept that. Not after everything. She needed to be strong. But what was holding her back?

  “Fifteen! Fourteen! Thirteen!”

  Why hadn’t she gone Super Saiyan 2 and utterly obliterate Buu? Her previous self, Bra, had mastered the form — so why not her?

  The answer was obvious, though Libra was loath to admit it. It was because she was weak — scared. Like Bra, she’d inherited a fear of her own power. She’d locked a good portion of her true might away out of habit, terrified she’d lose control if she used it.

  “Ten! Nine! Eight!”

  That day returned to her memory — that frightful day when she’d lost all control as Bra and destroyed a solar system. She’d been so proud, so lost in her power, that she’d forgotten all else. It hadn’t mattered to her that she’d accidentally killed countless innocents — that she’d killed her own brother, Goten.

  And her father’s furious face, telling her he’d kill her without hesitation if she lost control again. Why did this memory continue to haunt her, even as Libra? Would she always be its prisoner?

  “Seven! Six! Five!”

  “No! That isn’t me! Bra, those days are only memories, long past, unimportant to the person I’ve become!” Libra shouted in her mind. “I am Libra!”

  “Four! Three! Two!”

  She’d show him. She’d show them all what she was truly capable of. Libra was the master of her own destiny. She refused to live in fear of the past or her father. She seized the handle on the door and tore it open with complete abandon, heedless of the consequences. They would see her power — and tremble.

  “One!”

  “I am Libra!” The entire cosmos shook as she unleashed her true power. Her crystal prison shattered under the aura of her might. It might as well have been wet tissue paper. She savored the shocked expression on Buu’s face.

  “What the—?” Vegeta said, mouth agape. “Her power… it’s incredible.” Everyone else stared at her, stunned by her majesty.

  “Her hair! W-what’s going on?” Pan from Universe 18 said. “I-it’s pink!”

  “This is my Super Saiyan 2,” Libra said. “I have surpassed my old limits and become something new. I refused to be confined in any box. This form — this power — is mine alone. I am Libra, the goddess. The liberator. I am free!”

  “Well, this is certainly a surprise,” Buu said, his smile forced. He could sense her power — and feared it. As he should. He had pushed her into becoming this.

  “Shall we begin again, Buu? Only this time… we play for real.”

  ///

  Author’s note:

  Next time! The terrifying might of Libra’s Super Saiyan 2! Libra vs Buu finale! Who will be the victor?