Inside the Time Nest, verdant grass stretched across the landscape as the Supreme Kai of Time and Trunks reported the situation to Raditz along a winding stone path.
The incident had occurred recently—the Time Nest had been suddenly invaded by a mysterious figure. That individual had somehow penetrated the engraved vault security and stolen the Time Egg stored within. By the time Chronoa detected the intrusion, the perpetrator had already fled. Their escape velocity proved so tremendous that even Trunks couldn't pursue effectively—he hadn't even glimpsed the intruder's face.
Trunks's current strength had reached the absolute limit of Super Saiyan 2—equivalent to standard Super Saiyan 3 level, remarkably similar to Vegeta and Raditz's own Super Saiyan 2 mastery peaks. Yet despite such formidable capabilities, Trunks genuinely couldn't catch the thief.
This demonstrated that the opponent came thoroughly prepared and possessed extraordinary capabilities.
Logically, this matter didn't fall under Raditz's direct jurisdiction. However, Trunks recognized the crisis's magnitude—among everyone he knew, only Raditz possessed sufficient power to help resolve the situation.
"So the opponent's strength substantially exceeds yours?"
"Correct. I have an intuitive sense that person is considerably stronger than me." A line of perspiration dripped down Trunks's face. "They seemed to have no intention of fighting us whatsoever—otherwise, they could have eliminated us casually."
"Interesting. Such a being actually exists..." Raditz couldn't suppress a slight smile as he attempted deducing the intruder's identity.
He vaguely sensed the perpetrator was an old adversary—someone familiar whom he'd previously fought. This intuition emerged from nowhere yet felt profoundly certain.
Raditz had another critical question. "By the way, what exactly is a Time Egg?"
"This..." Trunks and the Elder Kai paused, preparing to explain.
"The Time Egg is the egg laid by Tokitoki. It contains the energy of an entire timeline—power so immense it defies comprehension!"
Chronoa, who'd been resting in the side chamber, emerged and continued their explanation. The visibly weakened Supreme Kai appeared distressed, her eyes flickering with profound unease.
She managed time as the Supreme Kai of Time and had never experienced such catastrophic failure. The Time Egg's disappearance would likely cause space-time disorder, triggering disasters across multiple universes and countless timelines. Many divine beings would suffer consequences.
"Lady Chronoa!" Trunks and the Elder Kai exclaimed simultaneously with concern.
"I'm fine—much improved now." Chronoa waved dismissively. "Our absolute priority is recovering the Time Egg. Otherwise, the consequences will be catastrophic beyond measure."
Raditz observed Tokitoki, the divine bird companion following Chronoa closely, and understood why the Time Nest valued this creature so highly. It could manipulate and stabilize timelines—serving as the most critical assistant helping Chronoa manage space-time complexities.
Tokitoki also appeared dejected now, expressing the same troubled demeanor as Chronoa herself.
"But why would anyone steal energy containing an entire timeline? What could they possibly intend?"
"Resurrecting the Demon God!" Raditz and Chronoa declared in perfect unison.
Trunks and the Elder Kai froze with realization. Of course! Who would require such tremendous energy, and for what purpose? They could conceive only one answer—one method: resurrecting the Demon God Demigra.
What Towa of the Demon Realm had been planning relentlessly was precisely this—reviving Demon God Demigra, thereby restoring the Demon Realm's power. She'd expended tremendous effort toward this goal: creating the artificial warrior Mira, controlling corrupted strongmen across various timelines, invading worlds systematically—employing every conceivable method.
Her ultimate purpose in orchestrating all these schemes was accumulating sufficient energy to revive the Demon God.
Previous confrontations had ended in Towa's defeat, yet even through failure, she'd collected substantial energy reserves. Raditz and Trunks had slowed Towa's progress but hadn't fundamentally resolved the threat.
After acquiring Frieza's cooperation, Towa continued quietly manipulating space-time and extracting energy—virtually impossible to prevent completely. The Time Patrol couldn't even approach their operations, remaining unaware of Frieza's involvement entirely.
"Is it genuinely her this time?"
"If we cannot stop her now, this will become the greatest disaster imaginable." Chronoa, Supreme Kai of Time, sighed with profound weight.
She had sealed Demon God Demigra previously—a seal that persisted until now. But sealing him a second time would prove virtually impossible.
"Heh. If Towa succeeds, I suspect Trunks and I will be her first targets for elimination."
"Why?" Trunks appeared confused by the assertion.
"We've ruined her plans repeatedly. Would she forgive that? However, I'm uncertain how powerful this Demon God actually is. He may not prove superior to me!"
Raditz's bold statement shocked everyone present. Was he seriously suggesting he'd fight the Demon God directly? Among those assembled, only Raditz possessed sufficient confidence to make such a declaration. Even Chronoa couldn't suppress instinctive apprehension after hearing this.
Raditz considered strategically. "Do you know where that individual originated? Perhaps we can track them."
"When... when that person departed, I witnessed the space-time vortex formation and memorized the location. However, that power signature has since dissipated," Trunks explained after brief hesitation.
Though unable to pursue the Time Egg thief successfully, his velocity still allowed glimpsing their retreating form.
"Tell me the location immediately!" Chronoa called out with sudden excitement.
Any space-time transmission required establishing connections between origin and destination points. Though the dimensional channel had closed, as Supreme Kai of Time, she might utilize temporal powers to restore the vortex's formation and identify the visitor's destination.
The Time Egg's tremendous energy couldn't be absorbed instantly. If they could track the opponent's position through temporal backtracing, opportunity remained for recovery.
Everyone's expressions brightened hearing Chronoa's hopeful tone.
"Follow me!" Trunks nodded decisively, taking the lead. They rushed across the bustling Time Nest plaza where various Time Patrol members waited anxiously. Seeing Lady Chronoa emerge alongside Master Raditz, everyone shouted with surprised relief.
The gathered patrollers followed, forming a large contingent trailing Trunks toward the final disappearance location.
They arrived at an expansive martial arts arena. The platform, constructed from hundreds of interlocked stone bricks, appeared wide and incredibly durable. Spectator seating surrounded the perimeter. This venue served for regular competitions—the Time Patrol held tournaments here periodically.
Above the arena hovered empty space.
Trunks pointed directly at that void. "They escaped from precisely this location."
"I'll apply my full capabilities." Chronoa's voice carried solemn determination.
"Lady Supreme Kai, your physical condition..."
"No problem! I merely fainted momentarily earlier—it hasn't affected my abilities whatsoever. Besides, we've already delayed too long!"
Chronoa's eyes became extraordinarily focused. Strange energy emanated from her petite frame as silver-white light flowed around her form like a celestial river.
Raditz narrowed his eyes with divine perception, suddenly witnessing a misty vortex spreading from absolute nothingness—time and space reversing before his enhanced vision.