Yamiru blushed.
From Tights' tone — light yet carrying a hint of heaviness, the heaviness mixed with a snort, the snort tinged with annoyance, and the annoyance barely hiding a trace of smugness — Yamiru discerned two messages:
"I didn't see how embarrassing you looked earlier. Don't worry about it."
And
"If you want to confess, that horrible situation just now was definitely not the right time. Find another chance, thank you."
Yamiru regained some strength. He patted Tights' hand to signal her to let go.
"Can you walk?" Tights asked.
"My body still feels a bit sore and swollen," Yamiru replied. "Even when your legs are numb, staying still isn't the solution, right? You've got to move through the pain to recover faster."
While his words seemed casual, his gaze lingered on Tights.
After all, it's rare to find someone who truly needs a grand confession to understand mutual feelings. Most of the time, people test the waters, figuring out whether they resonate with each other, closing the distance naturally, and seeing where it leads — often to an outcome both are fine with. It's all about going with the flow, as long as the flow moves in a direction one is willing to accept.
The atmosphere between them was subtle now. Neither broke the silence nor spoke a word.
Yet, as their eyes met, the exchange was rich with meaning. Their gazes seemed to communicate silently, shifting a hundred or even a thousand times in an instant, their lips twitching between suppressed smirks and faint smiles.
A playful glare.
In the past, Yamiru had never quite understood the difference between a girl playfully glaring at him and glaring angrily. Now, he was beginning to grasp it. The charm of it could be understood but not easily described.
Bulma, meanwhile, thought the two of them were acting strange.
Why weren't they saying anything? She followed behind Fortuneteller Baba, occasionally glancing back at the flirty pair, who exchanged looks in a way that struck her as utterly bizarre.
Soon, Fortuneteller Baba led them back to the main hall where they had first met. It was still empty, with only the little ghost wearing a straw hat floating nearby.
"Well then, as agreed, I will now perform a free divination for you."
Fortuneteller Baba hopped down from her levitating crystal ball.
"Haha." Son Goku, Bulma, and Tights all watched expectantly. But after a while, Fortuneteller Baba was still just staring at them. Confused, Son Goku asked, "Did it work?"
Fortuneteller Baba snapped, "You need to tell me what exactly you want me to divine, you fools!"
Tights stuck out her tongue. "I thought you already knew everything, Baba! Hehe, we're actually here to ask you where the last six-star Dragon Ball is."
"The six-star Dragon Ball..." Fortuneteller Baba murmured. "So, you're searching for something like that. After all these years, someone's chasing after these artifacts again?"
Bulma asked, "Baba, you already knew about the Dragon Balls?"
"Of course! The seven Dragon Balls were created by Kami. Many years ago, someone even used them to become a king!"
Tights exclaimed, "Kami..."
"Enough! I'm starting the divination now," Fortuneteller Baba coughed, raised her hands toward the crystal ball, and began chanting a ridiculously theatrical spell: "Mah-leh Mah-mee Hoh…!!"
Suddenly, the crystal ball emitted a bright yet gentle light.
Within this non-blinding glow, a clear image appeared, resembling a live television broadcast…
It showed a uniquely designed wild dinosaur.
"Huh? That's not the Dragon Ball," Fortuneteller Baba muttered nervously. Could her divination spell have failed?
Tights giggled. "We suspected that the last Dragon Ball might have been swallowed by some animal, which is why our radar couldn't pick up the signal. Baba, it must be this dinosaur that ate the six-star ball. You've been a huge help!"
"Oh, oh, ahem—" Fortuneteller Baba cleared her throat and pointed. "That dinosaur is located east of here."
She gave them a precise distance and even kindly adjusted the crystal ball's image. The "camera" zoomed out, showing the wilderness near a small town. The view then retraced the route, winding back west to their current location, the desert palace of Fortuneteller Baba.
Not far from a small town. Yamiru recognized the area from the image. He guessed that town might be the one where Oolong would later attempt to kidnap women, only to be outsmarted by his victims. The Dragon Ball might soon be expelled from the dinosaur's stomach and picked up by someone in the town.
"Got it?" Fortuneteller Baba asked.
"No problem!" Tights gave her a thumbs-up and raised her fist energetically. "Let's go! Dragon Ball search team, onward!"
Son Goku raised his fist. "Yeah~!"
Bulma mimicked them, clenching her fist and lifting it slightly.
The four companions exited together, heading toward the palace's entrance.
"This is great! We'll have all of them soon, right?" Tights mused aloud. "I wonder what Shenron looks like! Baba mentioned Kami too — how mysterious."
Bulma remarked, "If there are demons and places like Hell, having gods isn't so surprising."
"Bulma, as a scientist, don't you find it hard to accept supernatural stuff like that?" Yamiru asked absentmindedly, though it was clear his mind was elsewhere.
Tights whispered beside him, "Hey, what's wrong? Are you upset?"
Yamiru wasn't sure what he was supposed to be upset about, but he shook his head firmly. "No, I was just reminded of something else."
Bulma raised an eyebrow. "Science is a method for understanding the world — a methodology. If gods and demons are part of this world, then there's nothing unacceptable about it. You hear about it, confirm it, and remember it — simple as that."
Son Goku, confused, asked, "What's methodology?"
Bulma turned and gave him a look. Realizing it would be pointless to explain. Instead, she simply said, "It's not edible."
"Oh..." Son Goku didn't press further.
By then, they had nearly reached the exit. Son Goku called out loudly for the Flying Nimbus.
Bulma, feeling tired, didn't want to ride the Flying Nimbus and opted to rest in the plane.
Tights glanced at Yamiru, who said, "The airship we borrowed from Pilaf and the others is with you, right?"
"Huh?" Tights caught the implication.
"You all go find the six-star Dragon Ball," Yamiru said with a smile. "I guess I can't shake this nagging thought. I'd like to ask Fortuneteller Baba to do one more reading for me. Otherwise, it'll keep bothering me."
Tights rummaged through her bag for a capsule. "The airship's with me, but... Oh!" She suddenly remembered. "If we stay behind, Baba will send out four fighters again, right? If you're alone, she'll probably only send one."
"Once you've found the six-star ball, head to Master Roshi's place and wait for me. I'll be quick." Yamiru winked.
"Alright then," Tights tossed out the capsule, revealing the airship. "But take care of yourself, okay?" She muttered under her breath, "A wish-granting Dragon Ball should be able to bring someone back to life, right?"
Yamiru feigned fainting. "You've got no faith in me? That hurts."
Tights giggled, boarded the airship, and waved goodbye as it lifted off. Son Goku flew up on the Nimbus, spiraling into the sky.
Yamiru stood on the ground, giving them a thumbs-up as they left.
After a moment, he muttered to himself, "Well, my turn now." He turned back toward Fortuneteller Baba's palace, crossing the stone bridge over the lake.
Suddenly, his peripheral vision caught something in the sky. He froze, as though struck by lightning, left both stunned and frazzled.
He stared at the sky in shock. Against the light floated a figure with white hair that spiked elegantly as if styled with gel, light blue skin, an aura of refined calmness, and a unique divine outfit paired with a staff.
Calmly overlooking him was none other than Whis, the attendant of Beerus, the God of Destruction?!