"The level seems very low ...
I am not motivated to participate
I prefer to design the room of my future Optimus Prime" Broly replied while stroking Bulma's belly
Yes… they weren't confused...
Broly, the most powerful ȧsset in Universe 7, refused to participate in an event to save the universe 7
This was something that nobody expected, much less Beerus, who pounced on him and screamed like a hysterical mad bitch "Broly!
This is no time for your fuċkɨnġ jokes!
If our universe loses you, your wife and your daughter will also disappear
Do you really want me to believe that you are going to stay here doing nothing?
ENOUGH OF YOUR OUT OF PLACE BULLSHIT!
THIS IS SERIOUS!!!"
"That's the Beerus I have always remembered!" Said Whys, relieved to see that Beerus was his usual self again
But jokes aside, Beerus' argument was more than coherent
If his team lost the whole universe would disappear and that also included him! And in the unlikely event that he didn't disappear because he's a fuċkɨnġ monster that defies logic, at least all the others he knew would perish
However, Beerus knew that Broly, despite being a psychopath, cared a lot for his family and friends. That's why it was impossible for him to believe that Broly, someone who likes to have everything under control, would leave such an important matter to others especially considering how he intervened in the Black affair
This was definitely a bad joke to piss him off as always… or maybe he was trying to negotiate the price that Beerus had to pay for him to participate
Or so they thought ...
"Do you really think that me and my family will disappear if the rugby ball head dwarf head want's?
HAHAHAHA!!
You don't seem to know me well at this point..." Said Broly with his usual villain smile. The smile of a maniac with many backup plans in case someone managed to derail his main plan
However for Whys, Shin and especially Beerus that didn't make any sense. It's like bluffing playing poker when you face a royal flush taking into account that all the cards capable of equal said score had already been discarded
No one would believe such stupidity!
However, they were talking about Broly and that made Beerus start to doubt about everything he knew about mathematics, probability and logic "You can't be serious ...
Zeno-sama..."
"When that dwarf made Trunks's entire timeline disappear, I recorded the wavelength of the power he uses to make things disappear.
In fact, I could transport this planet right now to one of the universes that don't have to participate just in case ... or to Trunks' timeline, where there's no Zeno, since he's here now ... or another pocket dimension I have created ...
Whatever happens in that tournament, I, my family and my friends will be fine, unlike you..." Said Broly, explaining his great plan to survive the apocalypse as he crossed his legs on the table, hinting that his plan had no fissures
It was a logical plan ... however they refused to believe that this was possible. Regardless of the absurd ability to anticipate the power of Zeno, move an entire planet or solar system to another universe was something that not even a Tenshi could do. To do the same with the Earth, Champa tried to use the Super Dragon Balls, which were now in Daishinkan's possession.
However Broly was saying right now that he could do all that without the need for Super Dragon Balls, so Beerus still refused to believe that anyone was capable of that ... however, he's Broly "This ... no ... you can't be serious ...
It's a bluff ...
It's impossible..."
"In fact I think he did something very similar long time ago…" Said Ginger, who couldn't forget what Broly did on the planet Namek decades ago
Broly just looked at them, laughed and after snapping his fingers and...
CLASH!
And now...
"Tell me Whis…
Where are we now?" Broly said while drinking tea in his customized cup with a picture of a Broly that smiles evilly
But upon hearing that question Beerus could no longer doubt, much less seeing how Whys facial expression distorted slightly as he consulted his almost ominiscent staff
"We are in the ... first universe ..." Said Whys, trying to hide how shocked he was
"WHAAATTTTTTTTTT !!! ????
Have we been transferred to another universe so easily?" Shouted almost everyone upon understanding the seriousness of this matter
It seemed something impossible to believe, since they hadn't noticed anything after being teleported, everything was still exactly the same in the world. However, something had changed, and checking it was as simple as raising your head to the sky
"The stars...
I don't recognize any of these constellations
I can't even find the pole star" Said Gohan, Bulma and the other people with a minimum of general culture
There was no doubt, they were no longer in the same place as before
CLASH!
And after snapping his fingers once more Broly asked again "And now?
Where we are?"
"We are back in the 7th universe..." Answered Whys after checking with his staff ... and everyone else after looking at the sky and seeing that everything was back to normal
"IMPOSIBLE!" Shouted Beerus, who refused to believe that this was all real
Maybe he had used an illusion on them, created a long projection or had put hallucinogens in their food. It was possible that he did that instead of transferring an entire planet or solar system to another universe, but ...
How could they know? For now he could only trust Whys word!
"You see, I have no reason to participate ...
Although I am open to negotiations..." Broly said as he materialized a pen with fire on the cover and a paper to write contracts with ghostly faces.
It was exactly what Beerus feared from the beginning ... Broly tried to extort him... and contrary to what he thought at first he had the ability to do so "What do you want me to do ... Broly?"
"Broly-sama-dono-sempai-sensei" Corrected Broly
"What do you want me to do Broly-sama-dono-sempai-sensei!?" Said Beerus in a passive aggressive way, trying to pretend this was being an unforced friendly agreement
"Thanks for asking...
Don't worry, my signing for your team will be cheap
I will have compassion for the rest of the lives of this universe as long as the venerable God of Destruction agrees to my demands.
Which will end the day the tournament
It will only be a few hours, nothing excessive considering that I will make sure you are still alive for a very long time
Right!?" Said Broly with the wicked smile of a malevolent and unscrupulous swindler with so much bargaining power and police, political and judicial impunity that could even force a child to sell his soul in exchange for a poisoned candy
However ... that boy named Beerus urgently needed that poisoned candy at all costs "Gave...
Tell me what I have to do"
---
36 hours later at Bulma's mansion
"Buahhh
Buaahhhhh!!!"
The famous garden of the mansion was filled with screams, snot and tears, due to a very important event
"Well, it's finally tournament day
And also the day my little boy... Trunks ... has born, a beautiful baby whose name has been chosen by his mother in honour of Trunks because she didn't like Optimus Prime at all..." Said Broly, ċȧrėssing the chubby cheeks of his sleeping baby while looking at Bulma with some resentment
"And with a good reason" Said the coalition of Dragon Ball mothers, for obvious reasons
"Buahhh
Buaahhhhh!!!"
"Anyway...
Beerus, the deal is over, you can regain some of your dignity..." Said Broly while giving his Trunks with a lot of care to his wife
"Buahhh
Buaahhhhh!!!"
However, these cries, snot and tears weren't emitted by the baby Trunks, who slept peacefully in the arms of his parents.
"Buahhh
Buaahhhhh!!!
No creo que pueda...
Te detesto... te detesto con toda mi alma...
Buahhh
Buaahhhhh!!!" Beerus said, crying his eyes out as he put on his clothes, took off a necklace from his neck and disintegrated the litter box in which he was sitting.
The deal he made with Broly is that during the thirty-six hours remaining until the start of the tournament he had to behave like a cat.
This of course includes talk like a cat, dress like a cat, eat like a cat, shit and piss like a cat, play like a cat, being petted like a cat… and obey his dear master Broly at all times if he didn't want to be castrated
Without a doubt the greatest humiliation of his life, which has caused him great psychological wounds that didn't know if he will be able to heal…
"Broly this time you have gone too far" Said everyone, especially his wife and daughters, who had to see Beerus in that state for more than a day
However, Broly didn't feel guilty at all "You don't know how to enjoy this life…"
Nevertheless, Beerus was finally free and no one wanted to speak to him or make contact with him. His look was scary, it was like he was looking for something or someone to unleash all his fury
However, thankfully someone interrupted this tense moment
"Well then, folks.
It's about time we go
Please hold hands with each other and make a circle" Said Whys, explaining what was the method to get to the tournament.
"What?
Holds hands?
What an ineffective and primitive method" Said Broly, complaining as always when he wasn't the one who doing the teleports
And when Beerus, Shin, Broly, Goku, Vegeta, Ginger, Yam, Gohan, Piccolo, Roshi, Krillin and Tenshinhan finally shook hands, Whys did the necessary paperwork "Great priest.
We are ready to go
Please proceed"
"Good luck everybody" Said Bulma, holding Trunks in his arms, saying goodbye with Trunks' hand to everyone
"Wait for us Bulma
We're going to come back victorious!" Said Goku, more excited than ever to fight
"Prepare a delicious victory feast…
Please…" Said Beerus, who needed real food as soon as possible instead of the feed he had eaten in the last hours
"Leave it to us ...
I'll force Broly to prepare something good just for you" Said Bulma, who stared daggers at Broly, indicating through that body that the one that was in the kitchen should make first class food for him this time
"Bulma ..." Said Broly, nodding to this wife… very seriously "I'll tell you something important later…"
"¿?"
But there was no time to say anything, so that strange statement stayed in the air
"Let's go" Said Whys, performing the teleportation
FIU!
---
World of Void
Site of the tournament of power
The participants of universe 7 finally arrived at the place of the tournament, being teleported directly into the ring
"Oh…
This must be the tournament arena" Goku said, admiring the huge circular ring they were in and the stands from which non-participants would surely watch them fight.
But he wasn't the only one, Krillin also leaned to the edge of the ring to feel the greatest vertigo in the universe "So… we lose if we fall off of here?
This is dangerous"
"Hmph…
It'll only be a problem if we're unconscious
Since we can just fly" Said Vegeta, who didn't seem to have listened to the rules
"You probably can't actually
Go on try to fly" Said Whys to Vegeta, Goku and the other ones that forgot everything
"H-He's right!
I can't fly" Said almost everyone, who couldn't fly no matter how hard they tried
"This space has been modified so that you cannot resist its gravity.
It's only natural since your goal is to knock your opponents of this stage" Said Whys, explaining how this restriction was possible
However, there were still doubts about thi
"So how's that guy flying?" Aked Roshi, pointing to a bird man from another universe that was flying all over the ring right now
"Because they have wings, of course…
Just like the birds on you Earth" Answered Whys, explaining that only those who are innately capable of doing so could fly here
"Hey, Whis
We can fly" Said Beerus and Shin, that despite the gods they didn't know why they could fly here
Therefore Whys explained again "This only applies to the fighters
Incidentally in the interest of fairness, gravity has been adjusted to each fighter according to his or her planet"
"They can do that?
I'm impressed!!" Gohan said, really impressed, from a physical point of view doing all that was very complicated
After that Goku and the others went to greet the familiar faces of universe six and Toppo. In the same way the gods of the participating universes met to speak for the last time
Everyone was killing time the best they could until the organizers stated the tournament
And that moment finally came
"Everyone is ȧssembled…
Good
The Lords of everything are about to arrive" Said Daishinkan, Said Daishinkan, who appeared flying out of the ring, near a small circular flying platform which he pointed
This was a unique moment, the mortals could finally see Zeno-sama, the most powerful being of all and who rules over all the universe as he pleases
Surely a huge, imposing, rude, wise and charismatic guy who could make every god or mortal kneel with only his presence
FWIP!
And on that platform the two Zeno's sitting on his throne and two of his guards finally appeared
"Eh!!"
"Hello everyone!" Zeno greeted the participants in a friendly manner, most of whom he would kill.
"Good to see you all!" Said Future Zeno too
And obviously the disappointment was apotheosis
"A…
That's the Lord of Everything?" Said a mortal of the second universe, who imagined something totally different
"They tiny, though…" Said a huge mortal of the eleven universe, that couldn't believe that that dwarf is the most powerful being
"And there're two of him?" Said another mortal of the fourth universe, asking the hardest question to answer
However, those opinions didn't matter to anyone, the tournament had to start as soon as possible so Daishinkan without any formality said"The tournament will begin shortly
All non participants should take their seats in…"
However…
Something unexepeted flew towards the center of the ring, interrupting his speech
"EH!?
What's happening" Shouted almost all the gods and mortals, pointing to the unidentified object slowly rising above everyone
Everyone, but especially the Tenshins, who are the ones who were aware of the impositions in the tournament, couldn't believe what they were seeing. "That participant has no wings and yet ..."
"He is flying!" Yelled all the participants who were still unable to fly even now
However, that participant wasn't just anybody "He's..."
"Broly !?" Shouted all the Hakaishins, Kaioshins, Tenshins, participants of universe 6, 7 and Toppo upon seeing that the biggest anomaly in history is doing something extremely abnormal
However, everyone, regardless of whether they knew him or not, asked the same question "What the hell is he doing?
And… how?"
Questions that happened to matter absolutely nothing after hearing his statement
"Surely all of you are wondering ...
Why have I gathered you all here?" Said Broly whit his classic evil smile while materializing a throne in which he sat and looked from the heights to all the beings in that almost empty dimension as if they were mere insects
"The level seems very low ...
I am not motivated to participate
I prefer to design the room of my future Optimus Prime" Broly replied while stroking Bulma's belly
Yes… they weren't confused...
Broly, the most powerful ȧsset in Universe 7, refused to participate in an event to save the universe 7
This was something that nobody expected, much less Beerus, who pounced on him and screamed like a hysterical mad bitch "Broly!
This is no time for your fuċkɨnġ jokes!
If our universe loses you, your wife and your daughter will also disappear
Do you really want me to believe that you are going to stay here doing nothing?
ENOUGH OF YOUR OUT OF PLACE BULLSHIT!
THIS IS SERIOUS!!!"
"That's the Beerus I have always remembered!" Said Whys, relieved to see that Beerus was his usual self again
But jokes aside, Beerus' argument was more than coherent
If his team lost the whole universe would disappear and that also included him! And in the unlikely event that he didn't disappear because he's a fuċkɨnġ monster that defies logic, at least all the others he knew would perish
However, Beerus knew that Broly, despite being a psychopath, cared a lot for his family and friends. That's why it was impossible for him to believe that Broly, someone who likes to have everything under control, would leave such an important matter to others especially considering how he intervened in the Black affair
This was definitely a bad joke to piss him off as always… or maybe he was trying to negotiate the price that Beerus had to pay for him to participate
Or so they thought ...
"Do you really think that me and my family will disappear if the rugby ball head dwarf head want's?
HAHAHAHA!!
You don't seem to know me well at this point..." Said Broly with his usual villain smile. The smile of a maniac with many backup plans in case someone managed to derail his main plan
However for Whys, Shin and especially Beerus that didn't make any sense. It's like bluffing playing poker when you face a royal flush taking into account that all the cards capable of equal said score had already been discarded
No one would believe such stupidity!
However, they were talking about Broly and that made Beerus start to doubt about everything he knew about mathematics, probability and logic "You can't be serious ...
Zeno-sama..."
"When that dwarf made Trunks's entire timeline disappear, I recorded the wavelength of the power he uses to make things disappear.
In fact, I could transport this planet right now to one of the universes that don't have to participate just in case ... or to Trunks' timeline, where there's no Zeno, since he's here now ... or another pocket dimension I have created ...
Whatever happens in that tournament, I, my family and my friends will be fine, unlike you..." Said Broly, explaining his great plan to survive the apocalypse as he crossed his legs on the table, hinting that his plan had no fissures
It was a logical plan ... however they refused to believe that this was possible. Regardless of the absurd ability to anticipate the power of Zeno, move an entire planet or solar system to another universe was something that not even a Tenshi could do. To do the same with the Earth, Champa tried to use the Super Dragon Balls, which were now in Daishinkan's possession.
However Broly was saying right now that he could do all that without the need for Super Dragon Balls, so Beerus still refused to believe that anyone was capable of that ... however, he's Broly "This ... no ... you can't be serious ...
It's a bluff ...
It's impossible..."
"In fact I think he did something very similar long time ago…" Said Ginger, who couldn't forget what Broly did on the planet Namek decades ago
Broly just looked at them, laughed and after snapping his fingers and...
CLASH!
And now...
"Tell me Whis…
Where are we now?" Broly said while drinking tea in his customized cup with a picture of a Broly that smiles evilly
But upon hearing that question Beerus could no longer doubt, much less seeing how Whys facial expression distorted slightly as he consulted his almost ominiscent staff
"We are in the ... first universe ..." Said Whys, trying to hide how shocked he was
"WHAAATTTTTTTTTT !!! ????
Have we been transferred to another universe so easily?" Shouted almost everyone upon understanding the seriousness of this matter
It seemed something impossible to believe, since they hadn't noticed anything after being teleported, everything was still exactly the same in the world. However, something had changed, and checking it was as simple as raising your head to the sky
"The stars...
I don't recognize any of these constellations
I can't even find the pole star" Said Gohan, Bulma and the other people with a minimum of general culture
There was no doubt, they were no longer in the same place as before
CLASH!
And after snapping his fingers once more Broly asked again "And now?
Where we are?"
"We are back in the 7th universe..." Answered Whys after checking with his staff ... and everyone else after looking at the sky and seeing that everything was back to normal
"IMPOSIBLE!" Shouted Beerus, who refused to believe that this was all real
Maybe he had used an illusion on them, created a long projection or had put hallucinogens in their food. It was possible that he did that instead of transferring an entire planet or solar system to another universe, but ...
How could they know? For now he could only trust Whys word!
"You see, I have no reason to participate ...
Although I am open to negotiations..." Broly said as he materialized a pen with fire on the cover and a paper to write contracts with ghostly faces.
It was exactly what Beerus feared from the beginning ... Broly tried to extort him... and contrary to what he thought at first he had the ability to do so "What do you want me to do ... Broly?"
"Broly-sama-dono-sempai-sensei" Corrected Broly
"What do you want me to do Broly-sama-dono-sempai-sensei!?" Said Beerus in a passive aggressive way, trying to pretend this was being an unforced friendly agreement
"Thanks for asking...
Don't worry, my signing for your team will be cheap
I will have compassion for the rest of the lives of this universe as long as the venerable God of Destruction agrees to my demands.
Which will end the day the tournament
It will only be a few hours, nothing excessive considering that I will make sure you are still alive for a very long time
Right!?" Said Broly with the wicked smile of a malevolent and unscrupulous swindler with so much bargaining power and police, political and judicial impunity that could even force a child to sell his soul in exchange for a poisoned candy
However ... that boy named Beerus urgently needed that poisoned candy at all costs "Gave...
Tell me what I have to do"
---
36 hours later at Bulma's mansion
"Buahhh
Buaahhhhh!!!"
The famous garden of the mansion was filled with screams, snot and tears, due to a very important event
"Well, it's finally tournament day
And also the day my little boy... Trunks ... has born, a beautiful baby whose name has been chosen by his mother in honour of Trunks because she didn't like Optimus Prime at all..." Said Broly, ċȧrėssing the chubby cheeks of his sleeping baby while looking at Bulma with some resentment
"And with a good reason" Said the coalition of Dragon Ball mothers, for obvious reasons
"Buahhh
Buaahhhhh!!!"
"Anyway...
Beerus, the deal is over, you can regain some of your dignity..." Said Broly while giving his Trunks with a lot of care to his wife
"Buahhh
Buaahhhhh!!!"
However, these cries, snot and tears weren't emitted by the baby Trunks, who slept peacefully in the arms of his parents.
"Buahhh
Buaahhhhh!!!
No creo que pueda...
Te detesto... te detesto con toda mi alma...
Buahhh
Buaahhhhh!!!" Beerus said, crying his eyes out as he put on his clothes, took off a necklace from his neck and disintegrated the litter box in which he was sitting.
The deal he made with Broly is that during the thirty-six hours remaining until the start of the tournament he had to behave like a cat.
This of course includes talk like a cat, dress like a cat, eat like a cat, shit and piss like a cat, play like a cat, being petted like a cat… and obey his dear master Broly at all times if he didn't want to be castrated
Without a doubt the greatest humiliation of his life, which has caused him great psychological wounds that didn't know if he will be able to heal…
"Broly this time you have gone too far" Said everyone, especially his wife and daughters, who had to see Beerus in that state for more than a day
However, Broly didn't feel guilty at all "You don't know how to enjoy this life…"
Nevertheless, Beerus was finally free and no one wanted to speak to him or make contact with him. His look was scary, it was like he was looking for something or someone to unleash all his fury
However, thankfully someone interrupted this tense moment
"Well then, folks.
It's about time we go
Please hold hands with each other and make a circle" Said Whys, explaining what was the method to get to the tournament.
"What?
Holds hands?
What an ineffective and primitive method" Said Broly, complaining as always when he wasn't the one who doing the teleports
And when Beerus, Shin, Broly, Goku, Vegeta, Ginger, Yam, Gohan, Piccolo, Roshi, Krillin and Tenshinhan finally shook hands, Whys did the necessary paperwork "Great priest.
We are ready to go
Please proceed"
"Good luck everybody" Said Bulma, holding Trunks in his arms, saying goodbye with Trunks' hand to everyone
"Wait for us Bulma
We're going to come back victorious!" Said Goku, more excited than ever to fight
"Prepare a delicious victory feast…
Please…" Said Beerus, who needed real food as soon as possible instead of the feed he had eaten in the last hours
"Leave it to us ...
I'll force Broly to prepare something good just for you" Said Bulma, who stared daggers at Broly, indicating through that body that the one that was in the kitchen should make first class food for him this time
"Bulma ..." Said Broly, nodding to this wife… very seriously "I'll tell you something important later…"
"¿?"
But there was no time to say anything, so that strange statement stayed in the air
"Let's go" Said Whys, performing the teleportation
FIU!
---
World of Void
Site of the tournament of power
The participants of universe 7 finally arrived at the place of the tournament, being teleported directly into the ring
"Oh…
This must be the tournament arena" Goku said, admiring the huge circular ring they were in and the stands from which non-participants would surely watch them fight.
But he wasn't the only one, Krillin also leaned to the edge of the ring to feel the greatest vertigo in the universe "So… we lose if we fall off of here?
This is dangerous"
"Hmph…
It'll only be a problem if we're unconscious
Since we can just fly" Said Vegeta, who didn't seem to have listened to the rules
"You probably can't actually
Go on try to fly" Said Whys to Vegeta, Goku and the other ones that forgot everything
"H-He's right!
I can't fly" Said almost everyone, who couldn't fly no matter how hard they tried
"This space has been modified so that you cannot resist its gravity.
It's only natural since your goal is to knock your opponents of this stage" Said Whys, explaining how this restriction was possible
However, there were still doubts about thi
"So how's that guy flying?" Aked Roshi, pointing to a bird man from another universe that was flying all over the ring right now
"Because they have wings, of course…
Just like the birds on you Earth" Answered Whys, explaining that only those who are innately capable of doing so could fly here
"Hey, Whis
We can fly" Said Beerus and Shin, that despite the gods they didn't know why they could fly here
Therefore Whys explained again "This only applies to the fighters
Incidentally in the interest of fairness, gravity has been adjusted to each fighter according to his or her planet"
"They can do that?
I'm impressed!!" Gohan said, really impressed, from a physical point of view doing all that was very complicated
After that Goku and the others went to greet the familiar faces of universe six and Toppo. In the same way the gods of the participating universes met to speak for the last time
Everyone was killing time the best they could until the organizers stated the tournament
And that moment finally came
"Everyone is ȧssembled…
Good
The Lords of everything are about to arrive" Said Daishinkan, Said Daishinkan, who appeared flying out of the ring, near a small circular flying platform which he pointed
This was a unique moment, the mortals could finally see Zeno-sama, the most powerful being of all and who rules over all the universe as he pleases
Surely a huge, imposing, rude, wise and charismatic guy who could make every god or mortal kneel with only his presence
FWIP!
And on that platform the two Zeno's sitting on his throne and two of his guards finally appeared
"Eh!!"
"Hello everyone!" Zeno greeted the participants in a friendly manner, most of whom he would kill.
"Good to see you all!" Said Future Zeno too
And obviously the disappointment was apotheosis
"A…
That's the Lord of Everything?" Said a mortal of the second universe, who imagined something totally different
"They tiny, though…" Said a huge mortal of the eleven universe, that couldn't believe that that dwarf is the most powerful being
"And there're two of him?" Said another mortal of the fourth universe, asking the hardest question to answer
However, those opinions didn't matter to anyone, the tournament had to start as soon as possible so Daishinkan without any formality said"The tournament will begin shortly
All non participants should take their seats in…"
However…
Something unexepeted flew towards the center of the ring, interrupting his speech
"EH!?
What's happening" Shouted almost all the gods and mortals, pointing to the unidentified object slowly rising above everyone
Everyone, but especially the Tenshins, who are the ones who were aware of the impositions in the tournament, couldn't believe what they were seeing. "That participant has no wings and yet ..."
"He is flying!" Yelled all the participants who were still unable to fly even now
However, that participant wasn't just anybody "He's..."
"Broly !?" Shouted all the Hakaishins, Kaioshins, Tenshins, participants of universe 6, 7 and Toppo upon seeing that the biggest anomaly in history is doing something extremely abnormal
However, everyone, regardless of whether they knew him or not, asked the same question "What the hell is he doing?
And… how?"
Questions that happened to matter absolutely nothing after hearing his statement
"Surely all of you are wondering ...
Why have I gathered you all here?" Said Broly whit his classic evil smile while materializing a throne in which he sat and looked from the heights to all the beings in that almost empty dimension as if they were mere insects
