Hearing King Kai tone, Yamiru couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed.
As a complete stranger, suddenly barging into someone's home and unleashing his power like a terrorist attack…
He reined in his energy, the overwhelming pressure that had blanketed the planet vanishing in an instant.
"Lord Kai," Yamiru replied, "I'm the Guardian of Earth. I came specifically to visit you."
Silence lingered in the telepathic link.
Just as Yamiru began to wonder if the North Kai had "disconnected", the voice boomed back in his mind:
"...Oh, it's you!"
This time, the tone was noticeably calmer.
"You know me?" Yamiru asked, surprised.
"You think what you pulled off on Earth went 'unnoticed'?" King Kai telepathic voice dripped with sarcasm. "Even by universal standards, that battle was a spectacle! And Earth happens to be under my jurisdiction—you think I wouldn't pay attention?"
Yamiru chuckled.
"Kid, you're something else! You don't seem that old, and…" King Kai praise carried a hint of confusion. "You're a purebred Earthling, right? How'd you get so strong?"
It wasn't that Earthlings couldn't exceed their usual limits—extraordinary individuals existed—but Yamiru's power level in the hundreds of millions was absurd even by King Kai cosmic standards.
"Didn't you watch the whole fight?" Yamiru asked.
Had the North Kai seen it from start to finish, he'd have known Yamiru's power was "sculpted" from the energy of Heaven.
"Nope."
The North Kai hadn't witnessed Yamiru's battle against Satan. He'd only sensed the commotion, tuned in for the finale, and—as a deity skilled in telepathy—granted Annin divine authority as a reward before moving on.
"I came to see you precisely because of that," Yamiru explained. "Due to some… quirks, my self-perception of my power became 'misaligned'. So when I died and used my divine authority to reconstruct my body, that distorted self-image accidentally shaped this overpowered form."
A palpable shock rippled through the telepathic link.
"That's possible?!"
It was hard to fathom. How warped would one's self-awareness have to be to "misalign" from a frail Earthling to… this?
Moreover, if Yamiru had originally been weak, how could he have "fantasized" himself into a cosmic powerhouse so convincingly that it rewrote his very essence?
As the kai muttered his disbelief, Yamiru's golden eyes gleamed thoughtfully.
If this was the doing of his Golden Veil, then the jokingly coined name "Propaganda Technique" had proven ironically accurate.
Back then, he'd quipped that these golden eyes mirrored his will like a political officer's gaze—fading when he wavered, blazing when he stood firm. It had made him wonder: Did his resolve ignite the eyes, or did the eyes steel his resolve?
Now, the same question applied. Had his martial prowess elevated the Golden Veil, or had the Eyesight amplified his prowess?
A chicken-or-egg riddle. Yamiru smirked, unbothered.
"I've heard you're a master of martial arts," Yamiru said, laying on the flattery. "I wanted to understand myself better—my ki, the power of Heaven, all of it."
"Hah! Kid's got taste!" King Kai, clearly pleased at being praised by someone of Yamiru's caliber, boomed, "I've been workshopping some special techniques lately…"
'The Spirit Bomb?' Yamiru guessed. Not that he coveted the ultimate move—he had no use for it. If a crisis ever demanded it, Goku could handle the honors. The Spirit Bomb was democratic; its user was just a glorified fundraiser. The purer the heart, the stronger the call; the mightier the wielder, the deadlier the throw.
Still, he wouldn't mind learning the theory behind it.
"But I won't be back for a while…" King Kai hesitated.
"No rush," Yamiru said. He wasn't about to demand a host drop everything for an uninvited guest. This trip was already worthwhile just for establishing contact. "I've got plenty of time…"
"Right, you're dead anyway," King Kai laughed.
The link severed.
Yamiru suppressed his energy entirely, capping his battle power at 1,000. For someone of his true strength, this restraint was no small feat. Were it not for the planet's tenfold gravity, he could've dialed it down further—500, even—proof of his refined control.
Glancing at Bubbles, who'd frozen mid-banana bite, Yamiru grinned.
"What? Scared of me?"
Bubbles took another bite of banana, as if to prove he wasn't scared.
Yamiru shifted his foot, and the gorilla froze mid-chew—only to relax when he realized the god was just strolling casually across the grass. With a shrug, Bubbles resumed munching.
Though he'd agreed with the North Kai to "meet another time", Yamiru wasn't in a hurry to leave. Flying back down the Serpent's Path so soon sounded tedious.
He gazed upward. If the golden clouds beneath the path shrouded Hell, then the hazy sky above must veil Heaven. Faintly, he sensed countless pure, virtuous energies beyond that veil.
And beyond even Heaven… the Supreme Kai's realm.
During the Buu saga, Goku—having died twice and reached Super Saiyan 3—had sensed Gohan training there from Yemma's Hall. At that point, his martial prowess had truly transcended mortal limits.
Now, standing so close to Heaven on King Kai planet, Yamiru tried channeling celestial energy—but it slipped through his grasp like mist.
'In the original story, when Piccolo, Yamcha, Tien, and Chaozu trained here, they were far stronger than Goku had been during his visit… yet none learned the Spirit Bomb. Was it their temperament? Or something else?'
Days passed without hunger, thirst, or fatigue. With only a mute gorilla for company, Yamiru felt himself growing increasingly… inhuman.
A rare flicker of unease stirred in his chest. 'Time to go.'
"See you, Bubbles." Yamiru floated up, waving at the gorilla below. "Next time, I'll bring Earth bananas."
With that, he tore through the sky—so fast Bubbles' belated wave met only a vanishing speck of light.
---
Hours later, Yamiru landed back in Yemma's Hall.
As his feet touched down, the golden halo above his head flooded him with celestial energy, instantly replenishing his stamina.
"No wonder Goku's Super Saiyan 3 had issues after reviving!" Yamiru shook his head wryly. "When you're used to infinite energy, going back to mortal limits is like downgrading from a sports car to a tricycle."
As a god, he had the privilege of crossing between realms—but since this was a divine perk, not a learned skill like Instant Transmission, bureaucracy applied. Normally, Guardians could only travel between their temple and Yemma's Hall.
But now that he'd met the North Kai, Yamiru decided to push his luck.
"Could I skip the Otherworld and go straight to King Kai planet from Earth?" he proposed. "Flying the Snake Way every time is a hassle."
"You push too far, Earth's Guardian!" Yemma roared, slamming his desk hard enough to rattle the queue of waiting souls.
Yet—perhaps out of gratitude for Yamiru saving the world—the Otherworld ruler grudgingly relented.
"King kai planet ONLY," Yemma growled. "And only because Lord Kai allows it."
Yamiru nodded meekly… and vanished half a second later.
---
The vibrant air of the living world hit him—
'Wait, why's it so thin?'
Yamiru blinked. His "return point" wasn't Mount Five Elements where he'd left, but…
He looked down.
Under his feet: a single brick, floating in the high-altitude winds.
Yamiru laughed. The first brick of his temple—one small step.
'No rush. We'll take this nice and slow…'