1 Chapter 1: Eternal Dragon Azure

⎰Earth - 2023⎱

It was a typical spring day in Canada, and after a long harsh winter, flower buds were beginning to sprout in the trees. Many people were leaving their cozy homes to visit parks to view the beautiful flowers that were blooming after the cold winter.

Among such people was Matthew, a well-known martial arts instructor at the Dragon Fist school who was clothed in martial arts attires, or Gi. He was a tall, slim, and muscular man who had received numerous medals and awards in his field.

The geese were honking in the background while he aggressively walked on the park's pavement. "Damn it, I want a refund. It was clearly stated in the description that upon making a wish, the dragon balls would light up and Shenron's hologram would appear. However, none of that happened, despite me yelling at the top of my lungs. This broken thing doesn't even work," he grumbled in frustration.

~Flashback Start~

Matthew returned from his usual martial arts teaching session at the dojo. His schedule remained unchanged - a morning of training and exercise with his pupils due to the ideal time to exercise the body and mind, followed by heading straight home to indulge in watching anime.

Today, however, was different for Matthew as he hurried back home with excitement. He had ordered limited edition dragon balls online a few weeks ago, and these special ones were said to exhibit a dragon hologram after hearing a voice. Today was the scheduled delivery day, and he couldn't wait to get his hands on them.

While running back, memories of his childhood fascination with the Dragon Ball franchise flooded his mind. It was this very franchise that ignited his passion for martial arts and inspired him to become a skilled practitioner.

He still possessed some of the figurines from when he was a superfan, most of which depicted Goku and Vegeta's transformations from their regular forms to Ultra Instinct and Ultra Ego.

These figurines held sentimental value for him, and they were a tangible representation of his enduring love for the Dragon Ball franchise and its iconic characters.

He arrived at his two-bedroom apartment, looked about for packages, and soon saw a little box with the Amazon logo in front of his door. He then enthusiastically unlocked his front door so he could instantly open the package.

Upon entering, he saw the two posters of the Z-Team or Dragon Team in his bedroom and living room. He also spotted the cable linking his TV to the computer, which allowed him to watch Dragon Ball Super on his TV because the episodes were not aired on Canadian television, instead, they opted for cartoons, which were boring after a while, especially when you are old.

After arriving home, Matthew placed the eagerly awaited box on the table and decided to take a refreshing shower, as he had worked up quite a sweat during his rush back. Once he was feeling rejuvenated, he returned to the table and excitedly opened the box.

As he unveiled the contents, he couldn't help but be amazed by the dragon balls' beauty when the sunlight touched them. They were indeed a sight to behold.

These special dragon balls were approximately 1.5 times larger than the regular ones featured in the series, adding to their allure and uniqueness. The craftsmanship was impeccable, and he could hardly wait to see them in action as they were described to display a dragon hologram upon hearing a voice.

"Finally, I have them from Japan; they took so long to arrive even though I specifically requested them to arrive quicker," he exclaimed with pure delight, holding the special dragon balls in his hands. His excitement as a devoted fan was evident, and he celebrated the long-awaited moment with a sense of fulfillment and joy.

"Excellent, at least the quality is good; now let's test these babe's functions," he exclaimed with excitement, gathering all the dragon balls together. As he placed them down on a surface, a mesmerizing yellow glow emanated from the orbs, further fueling his anticipation.

With a sense of wonder and enthusiasm, he clasped his hands together and raised them high, just like in the anime, and called out with a voice filled with hope and determination, "Rise Shenron, and grant my wish!"

For a moment, he waited with bated breath, hoping for a miraculous response. But alas, nothing happened except for the mesmerizing glow of the dragon balls.

He did this several more times to make sure they were working properly but after seeing no changes, he decided to call Amazon's customer service.

After hearing the Amazon customer service respond with excuses, he headed to a nearby park to get some fresh air before he potentially acted out of frustration and break something.

~Flashback End~

As the honking of the geese grew louder, Matthew turned back with a visible tick mark on his forehead. Determined to confront the bothersome birds, he started approaching them.

The geese seemed completely engrossed in their own squabble, oblivious to Matthew's presence. They held their heads high and continued to shout at one another, while a female goose basked in the attention of two male geese vying for her affection in the distance.

"Enough already! First, there were those cheap and broken dragon balls from Amazon, and now, to add insult to injury, there are these obnoxious geese honking at each other so loudly "He yelled, releasing the tsunami of frustration that had built up inside him.

When Matthew approached their quarrel, the geese grew irritated by his presence. They warned him with loud honkings, similar to a car's horn. Instead of calming Matthew down, this act of refusal fueled his rage even more. He started screaming back at the geese in an attempt to scare them away.

His aggressive tactics worked, especially on the female goose, who grew frightened and began whimpering. This sobered the two male geese, who decided to set their differences aside and establish a temporary truce to deal with Matthew.

The enraged male geese launched an unrelenting attack, nipping and pecking at Matthew's head while he expertly defended himself with his martial arts expertise. Despite his training and efforts to repel them, a stalemate seemed to prolong.

However, the situation deteriorated when the rest of the geese clan arrived as reinforcements. Overwhelmed by their sheer numbers and aggression, Matthew found himself at a disadvantage. Despite his decade of martial arts training, he struggled to fend off the relentless onslaught of the geese.

In the end, the geese's coordinated attack proved to be more than Matthew could handle. Overpowered and outnumbered, he succumbed to his injuries, highlighting the unexpected ferocity and tenacity of the geese in combat.

It was an unfortunate reminder that even with years of martial arts mastery, nature's instincts and collective strength could prevail in an unexpected clash.

"I demand a refund, god." In his frail state, Matthew managed to express his frustration and disappointment before succumbing to the injuries inflicted by the relentless geese.

...

⎰Spiritual Realm⎱

'I was really looking forward to the dragon balls working as they did in the anime because I'm a huge fan of the show, but those bAstArds sold me a broken piece of garbage. I became a martial artist in Canada of all places due to the anime series I watched as a child and throughout my adolescence.'

'Such nonsense annoyed me so much that I called their office, but they explained that it happens occasionally during the transfer and that they will not accept a refund. As if that weren't awful enough, I ran across the country's most ferocious opponent and accidentally insulted the young master's geese, resulting in my execution at the hands of their father, grandpa, and clan.' Matthew, now a ghost, reflected as he saw his lifeless body gushing blood from multiple wounds.

'I shouldn't have tried to seek death by offending the mighty geese; instead, despite my pride as an expert martial artist, I should have knelt and begged for mercy,' sighed Matthew, consumed by remorse.

He deeply regretted provoking the geese on impulse, realizing that his pride as a martial artist had clouded his judgment. He admitted that confronting the geese was a foolish move, especially given their powerful clan and the government's overwhelming support.

Even if he had survived the attack, he knew his chances of prevailing in court were slim to none in a society where animal welfare was highly valued. Matthew recognized that the government prioritized the lives of endangered geese, valuing them more than human lives due to scarcity.

Matthew stood there, seemingly oblivious to his own lifeless body lying nearby, as the nurse and emergency personnel rushed to help the injured geese. He couldn't help but feel resigned, knowing that the geese had proven to be formidable opponents, outmatching him in martial arts skill and ultimately leading to his defeat and demise.

Matthew went through a period of mourning for the life he had lost as the realization of his death set in. He soon realized, however, that he had transformed into a ghost, as evidenced by his increased transparency. He also discovered that he could fly, no longer constrained by the physical constraints of the world he once knew.

Matthew meditated like a sage, contemplating the significance of his current situation. "Is this where my fate begins?" he wondered.

Interrupting his thoughts, a deep voice echoed through the spiritual realm, stating, "Sorry to burst your bubble, but no. You will either go to hell or heaven, depending on your karma, or your soul will dissipate into nothingness and you will die because it is no longer bound by your physical body. If you stay here, you'll only have about a day. Now, if you would kindly tell me your three wishes so we can conclude this."

"Aww, that's kind of a sad fate..." Matthew said before turning around.

To his astonishment, when Matthew turned to face the source of the voice, he was greeted by a sight he could hardly believe. Before him stood a majestic and imposing Chinese dragon, resembling the traditional four-fingered depiction.

The dragon had green antlers, sharp teeth, golden scaly skin, red eyes, and a long serpentine body that seemed to stretch endlessly into the distance. It also possessed long flowing whiskers/barbels, a snout with crescent-shaped nostrils, and flowing golden hair on its cheeks, similar to the Dragon God from the Dragon Ball Super series.

Matthew was completely taken aback, unable to comprehend what he was seeing and hearing. 'What the hell is a dragon doing here asking me what my wishes are?' he wondered, his tone surprised and confused. The unexpected encounter left him questioning the reality of the situation and the realm he now found himself in.

As he stared at the magnificent dragon, Matthew's voice trembled, and he felt a mixture of awe and fear, even in his spectral state. "W-who are you?" he asked tentatively, hoping that the dragon was a benevolent being who wouldn't harm him.

"Are those your wishes?" the dragon replied indifferently as if nothing in the world mattered to him.

"No, no, I just wanted to know," Matthew hurriedly responded, trying to sound as polite as possible. After all, he was conversing with a dragon, and the situation was beyond anything he had ever imagined.

"No, no, I just wanted to know," Matthew hurriedly responded, trying to sound as polite as possible. After all, he was speaking with a dragon, and the situation was beyond his wildest imagination.

"I am the Eternal Dragon Azure, and I am here to grant your wish as a result of you summoning me with the dragon ball. The reason I am here is that you must die before you can see or hear me as we are in the spiritual realm, or the world of the dead because we divine beings can't interfere with primal earth," Azure replied proudly, though a little annoyed with his last sentence.

Matthew listened intently, absorbing the information he had just received. The revelation that he had summoned a divine being, the Eternal Dragon Azure, left him both amazed and terrified. As he processed the dragon's words, he came to terms with the reality that he was indeed in the spiritual realm, having passed on from the physical world.

"Thank you for answering my question, and I'm glad those dragon balls were legitimate," Matthew exclaimed, overjoyed that God had granted him a refund. Although he had more questions about other divine entities and primal earth, he decided not to ask since he realized his time in the spiritual realm was limited and he didn't want to waste his wishes on mere curiosities.

"There are no problems. Now tell me what you desire, and I'll grant it," Azure offered.

Matthew took a moment to carefully consider his wishes, aware of the weight and significance they held. "My first wish is to be reincarnated in the Dragon Ball Super timeline as Goku. My second wish is for a custom gamer system like the one I envision, and my final wish is..." He began before being interrupted by Azure.

"Those wishes count as three, therefore no more," Azure clarified, as the two wishes required more power and complexity, counting as three in total.

Matthew initially seemed disappointed, but he quickly gathered himself and expressed his gratitude. "Thank you, that's still way better than the life I had lived up till now."

Azure reassured him, "Your wishes shall be granted; may your life be better in the new world."

"I will do everything in my power to make sure that happens," Matthew said firmly, vowing never to be defeated by a stupid goose again. Then he felt pain from all sides as a black hole opened inside him and pulled him in, and before he knew it, he was on the other side. This was more painful than being bitten in the head by geese.

"No one said it was going to hurt this bad." Matthew's scream faded into the black hole until it was no longer audible.

"Azure, witnessing Matthew's pain, mocked, "That's what they all say, thinking reincarnation into another world is a simple matter." The dragon recalled interactions with other individuals who had summoned him, often expecting the world to owe them something without having accomplished anything extraordinary in return. Rather it was all either fate bringing the balls to them or them receiving them from the internet without any exciting adventures.

"Whatever, it's no longer my problem, and besides, I still have other human desires to fulfill," Azure said as he flew away, appearing to be preoccupied.

"I understand how you feel, Azure," another voice said, and Matthew turned to see a handsome and holy man with angelic wings beside him. It was his best friend, Gabriel, an angel, who had appeared out of nowhere after Matthew's transportation.

"But you can't just ignore your responsibilities like that, especially since you know what the old man knows about us skipping work," Gabriel gently reminded.

Azure let out a sigh, clearly burdened by his thoughts. "I understand, Gabriel. But sometimes, it feels like I'm the only one doing anything around here. In addition, I have my desires and needs to pursue."

Understanding his friend's feelings, Gabriel replied sympathetically, "I understand, my friend. But consider all the good you've done so far. You've helped countless souls find peace and salvation. Don't let your frustrations make you forget the impact of your efforts."

Azure gave a thoughtful nod. "You are correct, Gabriel. I won't neglect my responsibilities, but I will try to take better care of myself. Maybe I'll take a break and spend some time exploring the mortal world. That could help me recharge and return stronger than ever."

"I think that's a fantastic idea," Gabriel said, smiling. "Just be careful out there. Mortals can be unpredictable, and you never know what kind of trouble you might run into."

Azure grinned mischievously. "That's the fun part, isn't it?" With that, he flew off, ready to explore the mortal world and see what adventures awaited him.

As he soared through the skies, Azure couldn't help but express his desire for some relaxation and fun. "I never have time to relax or have fun! Hey God, I'd also like a refund or maybe a vacation now and then like this guy."

An ethereal voice responded in Azure's mind, chuckling gently. "Nope, there's still paperwork to be done which will take millennia to complete before you can even imagine taking a vacation. Unfortunately, the job of overseeing the universe is never-ending. There is always something to be done."

Azure's frustration grew as he sighed deeply. "But can't someone else do it for a while?"

God shook his head with a sense of understanding. "Nobody else possesses the knowledge and power that you do, Azure. You are uniquely qualified for this position, and it is your responsibility to put your talents to good use."

Azure let out a heavy sigh, his frustration, and exhaustion were evident. "I understand, but it sometimes feels like I'm trapped in an endless cycle of work and responsibility. I never have time for myself," he expressed, his voice tinged with weariness.

God responded in a nonchalant manner, "I understand, my child. However, keep in mind that your work is more important than you, so you'll have to forget about the need for a break."

"Noooooooooo," Azure growled across the spirit realm, though his cries went unheard by others, for they were in the world of the dead, where souls would dissipate if left alone.

Azure flew away, feeling even more stressed and burdened than before. He understood the importance of his job, but he wished for some breaks in between. Especially given his ruthlessness and domineering of a boss such as God.