Sacrifice

At this time, Goten, who was in the Void Realm, had been in this empty space for 75 years. He counted the time almost every day. Seventy-five years was enough to drive a normal person completely crazy!

"Seventy-five years. Exactly seventy-five years," Goten muttered. "Zeno, Grand Priest, I will make you pay a hundred times over for today's pain!"

[T/N: Viola, now Videl is Tu Yung. Grandpa Goten, and lil Videl.... ✍️(◔◡◔)]

Goten was restrained by iron chains, his head bowed, but his eyes were completely scarlet. Anger, frustration, loneliness—all emotions seemed to consume his reason constantly.

"Haa!!!" At this moment, Goten roared suddenly. The aura flames around his body erupted instantly.

This time, the ki aura was not grass green but strands of fine purple-pink electric arcs.

Simultaneously, his hair turned red with purple hue, resembling Super Saiyan IV but completely different. All the hair on his body was covered with tiny purple-pink electric arcs. This form was the similar to Goku's and Vegeta's Limit Break Super Saiyan IV in Dragon Ball Heroes.

Over the past 75 years, despite enduring ever lasting loneliness, his strength had undergone a dramatic transformation. He comprehended the form of Super Saiyan God and then perfectly combined Super Saiyan IV and Super Saiyan God Ki. Thus was born the Limit Break Super Saiyan IV, also called Super Saiyan IV God. This strength was vastly different from the previous Super Saiyan IV.

However, Goten felt despair. Despite his earth-shattering changes in strength, even when he felt his power rivaled the Grand Priest's, he still couldn't break free from the iron chains or leave the Void Realm.

Haa!!

With a hysterical roar, the electric arcs around Goten's body intensified, and his ki aura grew stronger. Despite this, the iron chains remained motionless, showing no signs of being destroyed.

This situation lasted for five minutes before Goten gave up. He tried every day but failed every day. For 75 years, he constantly tried to break free from these chains and leave this place, but each attempt brought despair, returning him to normalcy.

In the next second, a purple light shot out from his eyes. Simultaneously, a surge of ki rose around his body. His eyebrows disappeared, and his brow bone raised high. His originally black hair turned silver-white with purple hues mixed in. At this time, his body no longer held any mortal ki but an incomparably rich and terrifying divine power.

This form resulted from his 75 years of training—a perfect fusion of Perfect Ultra Instinct and Perfect Ultra Ego. When exercising Ultra Instinct, he no longer needed to maintain a stable mind. Under any mood, Ultra Instinct could be perfectly controlled. For Goten, Ultra Instinct or Ultra Ego was just a transformation, not a realm like Angel and the others.

After becoming this form, Goten tried again. Terrifying purple destructive energy surged out like a vast sea, filling the entire Void Realm. Despite this, the iron chains remained motionless. Tens of thousands of attempts always brought despair. Without firm perseverance, he would have collapsed by now!

"Zeno, Grand Priest, and that damn Merno! I will never let you go... Absolutely not..." Goten roared hysterically, like a madman. For 75 years, they had ignored him. He would settle this account with them.

After struggling in vain, Goten bowed his head again.

Whoosh!!

At that moment, a slight sound suddenly occurred. Having been alone for over 70 years, Goten was particularly sensitive to sound. Upon hearing the slight sound of breaking through the air, he suddenly raised his head. He saw a portal, and in the next second, three figures emerged from the dimensional portal. It was Merno, Beerus, and Shin.

"Goten... Goten!! We finally found you!!" Beerus exclaimed.

Seeing Goten bound by countless iron chains, Beerus' eyes filled with distress. Although others saw him as a cold blooded God of Destruction, he felt deeply for Goten's terrible situation. Completely restrained by iron chains, Goten had become much more haggard and was entirely different from a few days ago. His eyes were filled with reddish cracks.

"Goten..." Shin's voice trailed off, filled with concern. "How did this happen? It's only been a few days. Looking at Goten's state, it's like he stayed here for hundreds of years."

He observed Goten with a worried expression. The change in Goten was drastic; he looked emaciated, completely different from the Goten he had known. Shin couldn't fathom the suffering Goten endured in this ghostly place or how long he had been imprisoned.

"Beerus, Shin, you... are finally here! Seventy-five years! I have been waiting for seventy-five years! Have you finally come to rescue me?"

Upon seeing the two familiar figures, crystal tears appeared in Goten's scarlet eyes. He saw the concern in their eyes, and a warm current flowed through his heart. For the first time in seventy-five years, he felt warmth.

"Goten, don't be afraid! We'll get you out of here right away. Even if I risk my life, I will definitely take you out of here!" Beerus declared seriously. Seeing Goten in this state really hurt him.

When Goten saw Merno again, his facial features twisted with rage. His eyes became like those of an ancient ferocious beast sealed for millions of years, eager to tear Merno to pieces. "Bastard... bastard... Unforgivable!!" A beastly voice came from Goten's throat, expressing his monstrous hatred for Merno.

Beerus, standing beside him, didn't hide his disdain for Merno. Seeing Goten's painful appearance, he hated Merno even more. Despite Merno bringing him and Shin here to save Goten, Beerus would never forget that Merno caused all this.

"Hey! Tell us, you bastard, how can we get Goten out of here? I hope you didn't lie to us before. Otherwise, even if I have to lay my life on line, I will destroy you," Beerus said coldly. Though he knew he was no match for Merno, he was willing to risk his life to make him pay.

"I didn't lie to you," Merno replied seriously. "But if you want to get Goten out of here, you have to sacrifice. The two of you may stay here forever."

Merno's solemn face showed he didn't want to see God of Destruction Beerus and Supreme Kai Shin fall. But for the sake of all beings in the universe, they had to make a sacrifice. If he could, he would have sacrificed himself to free Goten.

Beerus and Shin's expressions sank upon hearing this, but they quickly returned to normal. They had already considered this possibility before coming.

"Stop talking nonsense. Hurry up and tell us what to do," Beerus demanded impatiently. If they delayed too long and the Grand Priest found out, it would be disastrous. As Whis warned, they might fail to save Goten and be eliminated for nothing.

"Essence Sacrifice," Merno explained. "Both God of Destruction and Supreme Kai have the powers of laws in their bodies. One is destruction; the other is creation. The iron chains binding Goten are condensed by the power of pure laws. Only if the God of Destruction and Supreme Kai sacrifice their essence simultaneously can Goten break free from these iron chains. I'm very sorry I can't do this myself; otherwise, I would definitely not sacrifice you."

"Essence... Essence Sacrifice!" Beerus and Shin were taken aback. They understood what essence sacrifice meant. It seemed they were really going to stay here forever! But whatever. Living for hundreds of millions of years was enough!

"What??" Goten was also taken aback. A trace of clarity appeared in his fierce gaze. He immediately said, "Beerus, Shin, don't believe this guy's nonsense! Your strength is too weak; it's impossible to save me. I am already very grateful that you found a way to come here..."

Although Goten desperately wanted to leave this dastardly place every minute and second, he couldn't accept escaping at the expense of Beerus and Shin.

"Goten, you saved me twice. You could say you gave me new life twice. This time, it's just giving my life back to you. If you consider us friends, don't feel guilty! We would love to do this for you. One day, when you have absolute strength, it would be even better if you can resurrect us," Beerus said, relieved, with a smile.

"Yes, Goten," Shin said. "As my best friend, you have never ignored me because of your strength. You helped me get rid of Majin Buu. That's right, I should help you." Shin smiled at Goten and walked directly to him. Waving his right hand lightly, a box filled with an ancient atmosphere appeared before him. Inside were five space-time rings.

"This is the last gift I will give you. After Beerus and I are gone, these rings will be useless. I hope they can save your life after you escape from here." Shin put all five space-time rings on Goten's hands. The rings allowed the wearer to travel through time and space at will, giving Goten a chance to escape the Grand Priest's pursuit.

"Beerus, Shin..." Goten's chest surged with emotion. He never thought Beerus and Shin would sacrifice their lives to save him.

"Okay! It must be done as soon as possible! If the Grand Priest finds out, things will be difficult," Merno reminded urgently. Goten no longer objected. Merno began to exert his Angel power, instantly turning Beerus and Shin into two light beams that went straight into the chains binding Goten. In the next second, the iron chains containing the power of laws disappeared without a trace, along with the presence of Beerus and Shin.

"Beerus... Shin... Haa!!!" After breaking free, Goten raised his head and roared, venting the anger in his heart. After three full minutes, he calmed down slightly, though scarlet cracks remained in his eyes.

"Goten, let's get out of this place! If that old man comes over, it will be very difficult to leave!" Merno said quickly. With a wave of his hand, he summoned a portal, and their bodies disappeared into the void.

When they reappeared, they were in the endless universe. Goten looked at the flower on the back of Merno's hand and instantly understood everything. The Merno who exploded in the Void Realm last time was just a clone. The one before him now was the real Merno, in full force.

"Congratulations, Goten. Although the decades in the Void Realm caused you pain, your strength has undergone earth-shaking changes. While it may still be impossible to compete with the Grand Priest, he probably won't be able to kill you easily either," Merno said with a happy smile.

This was his ultimate plan: to cultivate a mortal strong enough to rival the Grand Priest and Zeno. Only mortals knew what it was like to be treated like ants by the Grand Priest and Zeno. Therefore, only a mortal could better protect mortals.

The previous challenges, including not stopping Goten from killing God of Destruction and having Goten imprisoned in the Void Realm, were all part of his plan. It now appeared that his plan had been very successful. Goten had gotten stronger and already had the kind of rage he needed against Zeno and the Grand Priest.

"Do you know what I want to do most now?" Goten stared at Merno like a fiend and asked in a hoarse voice.

"Of course I know. You want to kill me," Merno answered calmly, as if it was all within his expectations.

"The answer is absolutely correct... I don't care what your plans are or what your ultimate goal is. But your appearance led to the deaths of Beerus and Shin and made me stay in that damned place for seventy-five years! So... you deserve to die!"

As soon as the words fell, Goten transformed into his Limit Break form and disappeared like a mirage. Merno's face changed suddenly; he didn't even have a chance to react. Goten's fist pierced directly through his chest.

Poof!!

"As I said, threats come with a price..." Goten's expression didn't change at all as he spoke in an extremely cold tone after piercing Merno's chest with a punch.