Boom!
A powerful aura surged outward as Vegeta's Ki rose higher and higher.
"I am Prince Vegeta!"
With a roar of fury, the massive Great Ape form began to shrink rapidly. In just a few moments, the gigantic body compressed down into a humanoid figure.
BOOM!
His aura erupted as Vegeta's form shot straight into the battlefield.
"Perfect timing!"
GT Son Goku's eyes lit up, and in the next moment his own aura flared once more, Super Saiyan power exploding out with even greater force.
Super Saiyan 3.
BOOM!
Rumble!
The battle escalated yet again.
On one side stood this world's Son Goku in his Super Saiyan God form, alongside Vegeta in his Super Saiyan 4 state. On the other side stood GT Son Goku, radiating the might of Super Saiyan 3.
Their combined powers poured across the entirety of the Kaiōshin Realm.
Thankfully, the fight was taking place here; had it erupted anywhere else in the universe, with such terrifying energy clashing, even galaxies and star systems would have already crumbled to dust.
Those watching were left wide-eyed, unable to believe what they were seeing.
They had never imagined that Son Goku from another timeline could be so overwhelmingly powerful.
This was strength far beyond anything they had conceived.
Even together, Super Saiyan God Goku and Super Saiyan 4 Vegeta couldn't overcome this other Kakarrot.
"You really are interested in this fight, huh?" Jiang Chen chuckled lightly as he glanced at the returning GT Vegeta.
"Hmph. He's still me. No way I'll let myself fall behind too far."GT Vegeta let out a cold snort.
"Hahaha! True enough." Jiang Chen laughed along with him.
"It's almost over…"
His smile faded slightly as his gaze shifted into the distance, as though he already knew what was about to happen.
And just as if to confirm his thoughts---
BOOM!
GT Son Goku's aura surged violently, and in the blink of an eye his body transformed, ascending straight into Super Saiyan 4.
With GT Goku entering Super Saiyan 4, the Goku and Vegeta of this world, who had only barely been holding him off, were instantly overwhelmed.
BOOM!
A dull, heavy sound rang out as Vegeta's body was smashed out of the sky, crashing downward.
Before Goku could even react, a kick struck him head-on.
CRASH!
His body too was sent plummeting, carving another massive crater into the ground.
"So… strong!"
Goku staggered back to his feet, wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth. His expression was filled with shock.
Even after all their exchanges, even after realizing how frighteningly strong the other version of himself was, he had only now truly grasped the difference.
Only after facing his counterpart's Super Saiyan 4 had he understood just how vast the gulf between them really was.
It wasn't a small gap. It was an insurmountable chasm. Even if he still had the strength to continue fighting, Goku knew there was no longer any point.
This wasn't a matter of trying harder. The difference between them was absolute.
"Haaah…"
Nearby, Vegeta's face was equally grim, and though he said nothing, he had come to the same realization.
What Goku had sensed, he had felt too.
"Hahaha, you two are already really strong! Give it some more time, and you'll definitely surpass me. Back then, I wasn't nearly this powerful." GT Son Goku grinned as he spoke, his body shrinking back into the form of his child self.
"Really?" This world's Goku's eyes lit up, unable to hide his excitement.
"Of course it's true! At that time, I wasn't this strong at all." GT Goku nodded with a cheerful smile, reaffirming his words.
"Alright then. Everyone, let's start preparing to set out. By the way… who among you wants to come with us to the God of Destruction?"
When Jiang Chen's voice rang out after the exchange, several pairs of eyes immediately lit up.
"I'll go!"
"Me too!"
"Count me in for the God of Destruction's planet, Aspara!"
The moment the words left his mouth, voices rang out one after another, unable to hold back their eagerness.
Watching their reactions, Jiang Chen's mouth twitched slightly. But after a moment of thought, he didn't refuse.
After all, once they reached the God of Destruction's planet, a battle was almost certain to break out. Letting them broaden their horizons wasn't a bad idea.
"Alright then. We'll have to trouble you, Elder Kaiōshin." Jiang Chen turned his gaze toward the Old Kaiōshin, speaking with a trace of embarrassment.
"Fine, fine! But you'd all better be careful. Lord Beerus isn't exactly someone easy to reason with." The Old Kaiōshin's tone was helpless, as though he'd resigned himself to the inevitable.
Hearing this, smiles appeared on the faces of those present.
And then, with the Old Kaiōshin activating Instant Transmission, his energy enveloped them all.
Flash!
In an instant, the group vanished from the Kaiōshin Realm.
They reappeared, standing tall in another dimension, higher than the universe itself.
This was the Planet of the God of Destruction.
Unlike the Kaiōshin Realm, which was still linked to the underworld, the God of Destruction's planet was a completely independent space. Only Kaiōshins, Angels, and the Gods of Destruction themselves could set foot here.
In the lore of Dragon Ball Super, each universe has one God of Destruction, holding status equal to that of the Kaiōshin, second only to Zen'ō, the King of All who rules over every universe.
Within the twelve universes, the Gods of Destruction and Kaiōshins exist in symbiosis, one responsible for destruction, the other for creation, together maintaining universal balance. If a Kaiōshin dies, the corresponding God of Destruction also perishes.
Every God of Destruction is accompanied by an Angel: teacher, attendant, servant, and overseer.
The God of Destruction of Universe 7 is none other than Beerus.
Though Universe 7 isn't particularly strong compared to others, Beerus himself is among the most powerful of all Gods of Destruction.
(In the original manga, during the Tournament of Power, Beerus even overwhelmed the other Gods of Destruction in battle. In the anime, however, he was portrayed as somewhat weaker.)
The only problem with this particular God of Destruction… was that compared to the others, he wasn't exactly diligent. For years, sometimes even decades, he would remain in slumber, waking only when it was absolutely necessary to destroy a planet.
And at this moment in time, Beerus was deep in one of his long sleeps.
Flash!
On the God of Destruction's planet, a streak of light flared, and in the next instant, the group appeared.
The very moment they arrived, the Angel Whis, who had been within the palace of the God of Destruction, sensed something. His figure vanished instantly from the hall and reappeared directly before them.
The instant he laid eyes on them, a curious expression flickered across Whis's face.
(To Be Continued…)
This novel is finished and I have posted all the advanced chapters on my Patreon https://www.patreon.com/darkshadow6395