Dragon Ball: AD Astra

Lisette soared through the azure sky, her arms wrapped securely around Goku's unconscious form. The wind whipped through her hair as she navigated toward their destination—Karin Tower, where Yajirobe was originally meant to deliver the battered Saiyan.

If only I hadn't interfered so carelessly, she thought bitterly. Due to her mistake, Yajirobe had escaped his fate, leaving her to shoulder the responsibility. The lesson stung: reckless intervention rarely yielded positive results. Yajirobe's escape had cost her dearly, serving as a harsh reminder to remain more composed in the future.

"S-sorry, Lisette..." Goku's voice was barely a whisper as consciousness flickered back to him. "I'll definitely repay you someday."

A gentle smile curved her lips. "Is that so? Then, if I'm ever in danger, please come and help me."

"Yeah, leave it to me!" His response was immediate, earnest.

Though she'd spoken playfully, Lisette's heart harbored genuine hope. As the story progressed, the battles would escalate to ridiculous proportions. In the Majin Buu arc, all of humanity would perish. If she could plant this seed now—a promise that would compel Goku to aid her—perhaps she could survive those future catastrophes.

Of course, Goku remained oblivious to her deeper motivations. But this was Son Goku's word, and that carried immeasurable weight. The security of having such a promise filled her with quiet relief.

That's still far in the future, she reminded herself. For now, I'm the one saving him.

The moment Lisette alighted atop Karin Tower, she called out urgently to the feline master.

"Master Karin! Give Goku a Senzu Bean!"

"You've got it backwards, you fool!" Karin's whiskers twitched with indignation. "Don't make it sound like the Senzu Bean is my name!"

Despite his protest, the white cat hurled a small, jade-colored bean toward them. Goku caught it instinctively and bit down with a satisfying crunch.

The transformation was instantaneous. Wounds sealed themselves, bruises faded, and color returned to Goku's cheeks. His eyes brightened with renewed vitality, the miraculous healing properties of the Senzu Bean working their magic.

Incredible, Lisette mused. Despite her ability to replicate many techniques, the Senzu Beans remained beyond her mimicry—a testament to their unique properties.

In the original timeline, Goku would have sought the Super Divine Water next, desperate to gain strength quickly. With no other mentors available and Karin already surpassed, that dangerous elixir had been his only option.

But this world was different.

Even though Goku had grown beyond Karin's teachings, another powerful figure stood before him—someone he had yet to surpass.

When Goku expressed his desire to become stronger, Karin's suggestion caught everyone off guard.

"Goku, you should train under Lisette. She's the most powerful warrior on Earth... She can elevate you to heights I never could."

Oh no. Oh no, no, no.

Lisette's smile remained frozen in place while internally, panic consumed her. This unexpected development had blindsided her completely. She'd undergone extensive training, yes, but teaching? That was uncharted territory.

Her silent plea for intervention fell on deaf ears as Karin deliberately ignored her distress.

"Really? Lisette is stronger than you, Karin-sama?" Goku's eyes widened with wonder.

"Much stronger," Karin confirmed with obvious satisfaction.

Though her expression remained serene, Lisette's mind raced with thoughts of escape. True, she was likely the strongest being on the planet currently, but strength didn't automatically translate to teaching ability.

Goku gazed up at her with such eager anticipation that refusing seemed impossible. Trapped by circumstances, Lisette sought petty revenge by producing a feathered cat toy and dangling it before Karin.

The dignified master immediately began mewing and batting at the toy with undignified enthusiasm, only to freeze in mortification when he realized what he'd done.

Serves you right, Lisette thought with grim satisfaction.

"Training, huh?" she murmured aloud. "There's no convenient method to make someone dramatically stronger in just a few days..."

"But there is, isn't there?" Karin's knowing gaze pierced through her.

"...Yes, there is."

Can this cat read minds? Then she remembered—of course he could. Karin possessed telepathic abilities, though he'd mentioned that Lisette was somehow "difficult to read." While he couldn't access her past-life memories, her surface thoughts remained visible to him.

Resigned to her fate, Lisette knelt before Goku. Though she lacked teaching experience, she possessed knowledge that shouldn't exist—memories of training methods from fictional worlds, some of which she'd already tested successfully.

Perhaps she could make Goku stronger in mere days after all.

"Goku, give me your hands."

"Okay!" He extended both arms eagerly.

She placed her fingertips against his wrists, channeling her ki to specific pressure points. Then she repeated the process with his ankles, infusing them with stabilized energy.

"Bind," she commanded softly.

"Huh?!"

White light erupted around Goku's limbs, forming ethereal shackles that magnetized his wrists and ankles together. His arms crossed defensively while his legs pressed together, leaving him standing like a prisoner awaiting transport.

The ki-based restraints held firm. At Goku's current level, brute force couldn't break them—they'd completely neutralized his mobility.

He struggled briefly, testing his bonds, before turning to her with confused alarm.

"L-Lisette... what is this? I can't move!"

"These light shackles cannot be removed by force alone," she explained patiently. "I'll teach you the release word, but you must only use it when facing the Great Demon King—not before."

She whispered the keyword into his ear: "Release." Simple, following the original story's pattern.

These restraints were her recreation of the Spirit Cuffs from a certain supernatural detective manga—one of her more successful experimental techniques that had filled her with considerable pride.

"Focus on your energy flow," she instructed. "You might not understand initially, so imagine the sensation when firing a Kamehameha wave. Channel that power into your hands and feet."

"Ugh... nghhhh..." Sweat beaded on Goku's forehead as he strained against the bonds. "My arms are okay, but my legs hurt... but... I can move... slightly..."

"While wearing these shackles, you must constantly regulate your power—not just during training, but while eating, sleeping, every moment. It will be excruciating at first. However, once you adapt and the discomfort fades, removing them will multiply your strength several times over. Your Kamehameha waves will become smoother and faster than ever before."

Despite his obvious discomfort, Goku's eyes blazed with excitement at the promise of increased power. His Saiyan instincts for strength burned bright.

He grinned through the pain, trembling as he forced himself upright to face her directly.

"You'll train constantly while wearing these," Lisette continued. "Your first goal is completing one hundred laps around this tower's perimeter. Swing your arms widely, engage every muscle in your body as you walk."

"Y-yes! I understand!"

What Goku didn't know was that Lisette wore identical restraints—invisible versions that constantly pushed her to her limits. Whether walking, reading, or playfully tormenting Karin with cat toys, she never ceased training herself.

Unfortunately, at her current power level, the dramatic improvements of earlier days had plateaued. Still, every moment remained dedicated to self-improvement.

Thus began the unexpected mentorship—the original protagonist training under someone who would later become a master alongside Karin, Master Roshi, and King Kai in the list of "instructors Goku eventually surpassed."

Well, Lisette mused, watching Goku's determined struggle, at least I'll aim to be the master who lasted the longest before being overtaken.

•~•

"Saiyans are truly incredible," Lisette whispered in amazement.

Beside her, Karin sat slack-jawed as they both stared into the Farseer's Mirror, observing the pathetic figure of the Great Demon King writhing on the distant battlefield.

King Piccolo rolled in agony, purple blood—his own—staining the ground as he vomited and convulsed. Above him, Goku wore an expression of shocked surprise, while Tien Shinhan lay nearby in stunned disbelief.

The conclusion was simple: it had ended with a single strike.

After just days of training under Lisette's guidance, Goku had mastered walking effortlessly while shackled. Brimming with confidence, he'd challenged the Demon King, released his restraints, and delivered one devastating flying kick.

That was all.

One blow had reduced the legendary Great Demon King to a helpless, writhing mess unable to even stand.

Lisette's internal panic reached new heights. She'd miscalculated catastrophically. Goku hadn't just become strong enough to defeat the Demon King—he'd become powerful enough to effortlessly obliterate him.

The iconic "Pierce!" moment from the original story had been completely bypassed. There had been no battle to speak of.

"Uh, Lisette..." Karin's voice carried obvious concern. "Isn't he a bit too strong now?"

"...I think so too."

This created a serious problem. If the Demon King died without producing his offspring, Piccolo Jr. would never be born. Worse, since God and the Demon King were linked, God's death would follow.

Once again, Lisette had underestimated Goku's growth rate. She'd calculated his power increase to match the Demon King perfectly, but Goku's potential had far exceeded her projections.

They couldn't allow the Great Demon King to die like this.

Suppressing her mounting headache, Lisette leaped from Karin Tower, spreading her wings as she flew at maximum speed toward the battlefield at King Castle.

She descended from the heavens like an avenging angel, her white wings catching the sunlight. Using Burst Limit, she filled the area with pure radiance, dispelling the dark clouds with the shockwave of her high-speed arrival. To observers, her entrance appeared mystical and divine.

But even more striking was Goku's paralysis.

His fist remained raised, frozen mid-strike, unable to deliver the finishing blow.

The reason was obvious. This wasn't a battle anymore—it was torture. Like a grown man crushing an ant, there was no sport, no challenge, only one-sided brutality against a defenseless opponent.

Goku's compassionate nature rebelled against such cruelty. In the future, this same man would spare even Nappa after the Saiyan had murdered his friends. He'd shown mercy to Frieza despite that tyrant's countless atrocities.

If the power gap became too vast, the concept of honorable combat ceased to exist, leaving only the bitter taste of massacre.

Goku could defeat overwhelmingly powerful opponents and celebrate victory without guilt—but executing a helpless enemy after the fight had ended? That violated his fundamental nature. Someone like Vegeta might revel in such dominance, but Goku was too kindhearted for cold-blooded execution.

Lisette gently wrapped her hands around his trembling fist, drawing his attention.

"Lisette... I..." his voice cracked with uncertainty.

"It's okay," she whispered softly. "This is enough."

Since her mistake had created this situation, she would resolve it personally.

"I'll finish King Piccolo," she declared, gently pushing Goku aside.

She approached the fallen Demon King with measured steps—one, two, three—walking defensively, appearing completely vulnerable to attack.

"It's dangerous!" Tien Shinhan shouted, while Goku gasped in alarm.

But she continued forward, and the Great Demon King seized what seemed like an opportunity. In a desperate bid for hostage-taking leverage against Goku, he grabbed Lisette's slender wrist.

"Ahh... but...!?" Confusion clouded his features.

"Foolish."

The Great Demon King had indeed grasped her wrist, intending to immobilize the celestial maiden and use her as a shield. Instead, he found himself completely paralyzed, as if a massive boulder pressed down upon him. Paradoxically, while holding her, he couldn't release his grip—the supposed captor had become the captive.

Using principles similar to Aikido, Lisette had turned his attack into a binding technique, neutralizing his aggression and pinning his entire body.

With her free hand, she casually searched his robes and extracted a small vial labeled "Seal." She removed the cork with practiced efficiency and positioned it vertically at optimal distance with precise finger movements.

"Impossible!" the Demon King gasped.

"Entirely possible," she replied calmly.

Lisette manipulated her ki with surgical precision. Suddenly, a tremendous vortex manifested—as if a hurricane had spontaneously formed—and engulfed the Great Demon King.

This was the legendary technique Master Mutaito had used to seal the Demon King and restore peace to the world: a forbidden art that consumed enormous energy and typically resulted in the user's death when facing a significantly stronger opponent.

The Mafuba—the Evil Containment Wave.

"I never imagined it would end like this!" King Piccolo's voice rose in desperation. "But this won't eliminate the root of evil!"

As the sealing vortex consumed him, he spat forth an egg from his mouth—his final act of defiance.

Lisette smiled with genuine relief. She'd been wondering how to ensure Piccolo Jr.'s birth, and this desperate move solved that problem perfectly. A very welcome miscalculation indeed.

With the egg secured, the Great Demon King was no longer necessary. She completed the sealing technique and sealed the vial.

Events had unfolded differently than expected, but ultimately everything had worked out. Goku had grown stronger, and the future remained intact—mostly.

All things considered, this could be counted as a positive outcome.

Or at least, I'd like to believe it's positive.

---

Training Notes: When walking, reading, or teasing Karin with cat toys... she constantly releases her ki and pushes herself to her limits.

And as Karin chased those very same cat toys, her fighting power had also quietly increased—specifically, to the point where she could defeat the Demon King.

(Battle Power: 190 → 270)

[Spiritual Restraint Technique] A recreation of the Spirit Cuffs from Yu Yu Hakusho. Without mobilizing all available ki, proper movement becomes impossible. Mastering daily life while wearing these restraints increases fighting power several times over.

Lisette had calculated that a modest improvement over several days would allow Goku to match the Demon King's strength... but Goku's talent had proven far more extraordinary than anticipated.

Current Battle Power: Goku ≈ 600