— Ah, this is useless. I can't detect any presence on this planet —he mused to himself as he opened his eyes, tilting his head as if he expected the answer to appear before him.
— Damn! What am I supposed to do now...? —he said, letting out a pessimistic sigh. He sat on the ground in a lotus position, crossing his arms and trying to gather his thoughts in search of a solution that would allow him to understand what was happening.
This man had arrived in this place without warning or preparation. Realizing he was not where he was supposed to be, he began to survey his surroundings, looking for something familiar or perhaps someone who could help him. However, after an unsuccessful search, he came up with the idea of locating others through their presences.
He could detect the vital energy of living beings, which he commonly referred to as "Ki." But, to his surprise, he realized there was nothing. Not even the presence of animals. The overwhelming silence of the place began to unsettle him, as if the world around him were holding its breath.
— Damn... I'm starting to get hungry —he murmured, putting a hand on his stomach, which was beginning to make noises from lack of food—. I haven't eaten anything since morning. I hope Milk doesn't get mad if I don't make it for lunch... I hope.
He muttered the last part, recalling the sweet smile of his wife and how she would be upset if he didn't arrive on time for the lunch she had worked hard to prepare.
Still sitting, the man wore typical farmer clothing suitable for working in the fields. Curiously, he had been tending to his crops when, suddenly, he arrived in this place. He was an attractive man, seemingly in his twenties, with a well-built body. But what stood out the most was his peculiar black hair, which gathered in seven points to the sides, as if defying gravity.
His name was "Son Goku," a Saiyan raised on Earth, a warrior who had saved his home many times from destruction at the hands of enemies he faced alongside his friends.
In the midst of his thoughts, an invisible flash struck him.
— Huh?... —he spoke in surprise— that's strange. I just detected a presence, but it's not that of a human —murmured Goku, lifting his gaze toward the horizon, where a shadow was drawn in the landscape.
He directed his gaze toward the source of that presence. He could feel the Ki of someone in that direction. He didn't detect any ill intentions, but that energy felt quite dark, like a distant echo of something unknown.
— Maybe I should go and try to talk to him. If he's a bad person, I just have to defeat him... —Goku said with determination, bringing two fingers to his forehead to perform one of his techniques: teleportation. A skill acquired during his training on other planets, allowing him to travel to distant places in an instant, as long as he could sense a presence in that location.
Goku's figure vanished just as a sharp sound filled the air, like a warning scream resonating in the atmosphere.
---
Several kilometers away, in a flower-covered plain, there was a girl with long crimson hair. She looked around, completely confused, as if she had been ripped from her world without warning.
— Where…? —she asked in total confusion.
Just moments ago, she had been in an academy with her vassals, and the next instant, this strange landscape surrounded her for no reason. She shook off the uncertainty that loomed over her and went on high alert, believing it to be an ambush meant to harm or kill her.
"Shuiin" a sound cut through the air.
Goku appeared behind her, using his teleportation without the girl realizing it, like a whisper in the wind.
— Excuse me, could I ask you a que—? —Goku couldn't finish the sentence as the girl suddenly turned, ready to attack him with a strange power emanating from her being.
With imperceptible speed, Goku dodged the girl's close-range attack. The projectile, red and black, shot out from a circle with strange symbols in front of the young woman's open palm.
Goku's eyes widened in surprise as the attack devastated the field, leaving no trace of destruction as if it had been reduced to zero. That scene looked familiar; he had seen something similar before. He imagined what would have happened if the attack had hit him.
— Wow! If that had touched me, I probably wouldn't be here. Hehe —Goku said, letting out a nervous laugh while thinking about the consequences of his recklessness.
— Who are you?! Did you bring me here?! Answer! —the girl shouted, raising her voice in search of answers, her gaze burning with distrust.
She adopted a defensive stance, preparing to attack again. Despite having launched such a close attack, Goku had managed to dodge it. The girl couldn't sense any magical energy coming from him, but she understood that the man in front of her was not someone to underestimate.
Goku, blinking rapidly at hearing the girl's words, realized he didn't understand what she had said.
— Uh... I didn't... I didn't understand anything? Maybe you can't understand what I'm saying either, right...? —he said, feeling a bit frustrated at seeing that his attempts at communication were in vain.
They looked at each other, and confusion reigned between them. Goku understood that, just like him, the girl couldn't understand his language. Her bewildered expression confirmed his suspicions.
— Damn, this is a problem —Goku said, crossing his arms in a gesture of frustration.
The red-haired girl watched as Goku pondered in front of her, not caring about the situation in the slightest. She was determined to attack him again, but was incredulous when he turned his back on a potential enemy, as if he didn't consider her a threat. She thought that the man in front of her had no intention of harming her, and she relaxed a bit.
She wanted answers about what was happening, and with no other option, decided to communicate with the man in front of her through one of her magical powers.
— Excuse me —she said, trying to catch his attention with a soft, almost pleading tone.
Goku, lost in his thoughts, turned to her upon hearing her voice.
He didn't understand what she was saying, but he sensed that she was calling him.
— Maybe you don't understand me, but I can make you understand what I'm saying —the girl explained, gesturing with her hands, moving gracefully to ensure Goku understood.
Goku was surprised to see those strange movements, but his curiosity overcame his confusion.
— Aahh! You're trying to say you can fix it! I get it! —Goku exclaimed, feeling excited as he understood the girl's intention.
He approached her confidently, thinking she wouldn't do anything harmful. The red-haired girl brought her hands to Goku's head. As she did, a mist of purple and red began to emanate from her hands.
Goku felt a strange sensation, but it didn't worry him. He didn't feel in danger; rather, a warmth enveloped him.
What the girl was trying to do was influence Goku's mind with her magical powers. It wasn't a form of control at all, but a spell to allow him to understand her.
— You can understand me now —the girl said, watching the look of astonishment on Goku's face.
— Wow! This is incredible! I can understand you now! —Goku exclaimed, raising his voice with enthusiasm upon realizing he could communicate with her.
The red-haired girl blinked in surprise at the man's attitude and took him by the shoulders to push him away.
— O-hey, calm down a bit, okay...? —she asked, trying to maintain her composure amid the confusion.
— Huh? Oh, sure —Goku responded, lowering his tone a bit and stepping back to avoid making the girl uncomfortable.
With the communication problem resolved, Goku adopted a more serious attitude before speaking.
— Now that you can understand what I'm saying, I want to ask you something. Can I? —he said, his voice now filled with curiosity.
The red-haired girl closed her eyes, showing a neutral expression at the question. She also wanted answers from him.
— Okay, but only if you answer my questions too. Is it a deal? —she replied, pleased, with elegance and firmness, like a negotiator in an agreement.
Goku agreed without hesitation.
— Yes, it's a deal —he responded, extending his right hand, which the girl accepted with a firm gesture.
— Good, what do you want to know? —she asked, her gaze fixed on him.
— You might not have noticed because you just arrived, but... —Goku couldn't continue, as he was interrupted.
— Wait, what do you mean by I just arrived? How do you know that? —the girl asked, confused, furrowing her brow.
Goku noticed her distrust and decided to explain calmly.
— I arrived in this place a couple of hours ago, maybe more. I was searching the entire planet for any presence, but I found no one... —he replied, his voice filled with sincerity.
— No one? Do you mean people? How can... the whole planet? —the girl's gaze shifted from confusion to incomprehension, trying to process everything he was saying.
— This planet is empty. There are no people, not even animals. You're the first presence I've felt in hours, so I hurried to find out what was going on. But I just realized you have no idea what happened, just like me... —Goku explained, his tone reflecting the desperation of the situation.
Each word from Goku made the girl feel more distressed, as if each revelation was a blow to her chest.
— But one thing is clear —Goku said, looking up at the sky, followed by the girl—. This is not our planet. Maybe… it's not even our universe.
He observed the firmament, which offered an incredible view. The sky was painted in different shades, between blue and purple, with golden tones and the white of the clouds. Beyond, various plants adorned the sky and gigantic planets seemed to be close to this world.
For Goku, who had traveled countless worlds throughout his life, the view was impressive, but not surprising; perhaps he had become accustomed to contemplating wonders. However, the red-haired girl beside him felt deeply unsettled. She had explored many incredible places, but had never experienced something so overwhelming. The mere idea that this was not her universe, her home, and that she might never see her family or friends again sent chills through her very being.
Anxiety began to take hold of her, like a shadow looming over her heart. As her eyes scanned the horizon, the facade of the strong, intelligent woman she had built with such effort began to crumble. In that moment, she felt like a scared child, longing for the comfort of her parents, wishing their hugs could traverse the distance separating her from everything she knew and loved.
Each heartbeat resonated with the echo of her loneliness, and the vastness of the place enveloped her in a sense of helplessness. In her mind, images of her home, laughter, and shared moments intertwined with the harsh reality of her situation. The internal struggle between her desire to be brave and her overwhelming fear left her trapped in a whirlwind of emotions, where hope and despair danced in delicate balance.
Goku, who was observing the sky with his arms crossed, felt a whirlwind of negative emotions emanating from the girl and looked at her. She was mentally breaking down, and his heart went out to her.
— Hey, we haven't introduced ourselves yet. I'm Goku, Son Goku. What's your name? —Goku said, trying to cheer her up with his carefree smile.
The girl looked at him, still troubled by everything she was feeling, but the warmth of his voice gave her a small respite.
—… Rías. My name is Rías Gremori —she replied, trying to regain her composure. She was a high-class demon, heir to one of the most important families in the underworld, and the younger sister of the now-called demon king.
---
In another part of this planet
A man with an intellectual appearance, dressed in a lab coat, contemplated the sky with a stoic and somewhat fascinated gaze. The view was impressive, but he was more interested in understanding why he was there. Moments before, he had been in his laboratory investigating the temporal flow of a pocket dimension, and before he could blink, he found himself in this unknown place.
— I guess I'll be late for dinner —he murmured, feeling the irony of his words while observing the surreal landscape around him.
He examined his surroundings again. He observed trees of different shapes and species, creating an unexplored paradise of unparalleled beauty. He approached one of the trees, which seemed to be a mix between a bonsai and a white pine.
— The bark is smooth despite looking rigid. Interesting —he commented while touching the tree's bark, his mind analyzing every detail.
Suddenly, a sharp sound of "shuin" reached his ears, like a distant echo resonating in the air.
— I suppose you are the welcome of this place, right? —he said, noticing the presence of Goku and Rías, feeling that something extraordinary was about to happen.
— Can you understand us? —Goku asked in a curious tone, his gaze fixed on the stranger.
The man in the lab coat shook his head at the possible question. Rías approached him, sensing he was not a threat, her instincts telling her to trust.
After the girl used her powers, the man was able to understand what they were saying. Thus, they decided to explain the situation to him.
— So that's what's happening. This will be complicated —said the man in the lab coat after listening to Goku attentively.
— Yes, you're the third to arrive… um, what should I call you? —Goku replied nervously, scratching his head, trying to remember the norms of introduction.
— Ah, right, we haven't introduced ourselves. I'm Dr. Reed Richards. But you can call me Reed —he introduced himself cordially, his tone reflecting his professionalism.
Reed Richards, known as the Smartest Man in his world, was a brilliant scientist and leader of the Fantastic Four.
— I'm Goku, Son Goku, but you can just call me Goku if you want —Goku said cheerfully, raising his hand in a friendly greeting.
— And she is... well...? —Goku finished, looking at Rías for her to introduce herself, his gaze full of expectation.
— I'm Rías Gremori. It's a pleasure, Dr. Richards —the girl said, showing respect unlike Goku, trying to maintain her composure.
Rías was trying to regain her composure. All this was too much to process, and she felt powerless looking around. Goku, who had spoken with her, was trying to cheer her up with his cheerful attitude.
Reed noticed that the girl was being overwhelmed by the situation. He had seen similar situations in the past, but he set that aside, his mind focused on the present.
— This may just be the beginning, and soon more people will appear in this place —Reed said, looking at Goku—. Tell me, Son Goku, according to what you said, you arrived first, and Miss Rías arrived afterward. How much time would you say there was between her arrival and mine?
Reed asked that question to measure the time it might take for more people to arrive in that place, his mind working like a well-oiled machine.
Goku intertwined his arms, trying to estimate the time.
— Mmn... I'm not sure, but a couple of hours passed before Rías arrived, and after that, maybe an hour before you appeared, I guess —he said, thoughtful, as if each second were a puzzle he had to solve.
— Yes, since my arrival to yours, it has been approximately an hour —Rías confirmed, feeling that everything was starting to make sense.
Reed nodded, understanding the situation.
— Well, the fourth person to appear might do so in a few minutes. You said you could feel the presence of living beings, right? We just have to wait until you can detect it —Reed suggested, trying to think of a plan of action.
— Yes, I can do that... but the next person just arrived a moment ago —Goku said, confusing the other two.
— Huh? A moment ago? Didn't you say we were just three? —Reed asked, somewhat confused, his mind trying to follow the thread of the conversation.
— That was the case, but... when we started talking, I felt a presence. I thought it was something very strange to be a person. But now that I look at it closely, I can say it's someone, without a doubt —Goku replied, his tone serious, his gaze fixed on the horizon.
— Wait, what do you mean by... a strange energy? —Rías asked, intrigued, her curiosity piqued.
Goku looked up at the sky, followed by the other two, trying to see something that could explain the sensation that was invading him.
— That energy is... how to put it. It's like the energy emitted by a sun —Goku said, causing more intrigue in both—. And it seems like it has been observing us for a while.
While Goku spoke, a figure in the atmosphere listened to them. A man had been listening for a while and, surprisingly, had no trouble understanding what they were saying.
The figure felt that Son Goku was looking directly at him. He decided to descend and speak with them.
— Looks like he's starting to descend —Goku said, with a confident demeanor and a challenging smile lighting up his face.
Rías looked at the sky in amazement. The figure of a stranger descended, and upon seeing him, she thought it was the arrival of a god.
Before them, floating in the air, appeared a man dressed in a blue suit, red boots, and a cape that waved magnificently in the wind. On his chest, he bore a symbol in the shape of an "S." In his world, he was known as Superman, the champion of the oppressed, the last son of Krypton, a hero, the best of heroes.
Reed, observing Superman flying, decided to speak first. He didn't know him, but he recognized the heroic aura that emanated so clearly.
— Can you understand us? —Reed asked, stepping in front of Rías and Goku, his voice firm and clear.
Superman stared at Reed, using his X-ray vision. What he saw made him smile.
— Yes, I can understand you, Dr. Richards, loud and clear —Superman replied in a calm tone, exuding confidence and serenity.
— That's good, because there's a lot to talk about —Reed said in a direct tone.
The fire in his eyes was evident, one that indicated he was ready to overcome any adversity. Goku, for his part, showed enthusiasm about the situation, while Rías looked mortified. All of this was too incredible for her.
This was just the beginning of everything this place had in store for them.
To be continued...