Universe Eleven's God of Destruction reclined in his seat, the picture of absolute confidence. If not for the impropriety of drinking before the Omni-Kings, he'd have been savoring fine wine while getting a shoulder massage. Victory seemed so assured it was almost boring.
His angel attendant Marcarita smiled serenely beside him, equally unburdened by concern.
Of all the universes still competing, only they had maintained perfect confidence from beginning to end.
Raditz understood the source of their certainty. Jiren was likely the single strongest mortal in the tournament. Setting aside the God of Destruction's unique "Hakai" ability, Jiren's raw power might even exceed Universe Eleven's deity himself.
That strength represented near-absolute dominance against fighters at the preparation-for-godhood level. Even if Goku, Vegeta, and the others combined their might, victory remained uncertain.
And Universe Eleven possessed another threat: Toppo.
Jiren's overwhelming presence cast such a shadow that people often overlooked the Justice Trooper. But Toppo was the real danger in many ways. Jiren's pride kept him passive, waiting for worthy opponents. Toppo had been active from the start—fighting relentlessly, eliminating targets without mercy.
Right now, he was dismantling Majin Buu with overwhelming force, pushing the pink demon toward the arena's edge step by inexorable step.
"HAH! HAH! HAH! HAH!"
A continuous barrage of heavy punches hammered into Buu's body. Toppo's beard bristled with exertion, his muscular arms moving like pistons—hard as steel, relentless as a machine. Each impact created crater-like indentations in Buu's malleable flesh. The pink warrior's body was covered in fist-shaped wounds.
But Majin Buu possessed regeneration that bordered on immortal. The damage healed almost as quickly as it formed—flesh flowing back together, wounds sealing themselves. He didn't look particularly distressed despite the punishment.
The gap in power remained obvious, though. Buu wanted to counter-attack, wanted to turn the tide, but Toppo gave him no openings.
"SPECIAL BEAM CANNON!"
From across the battlefield, a spiraling beam of concentrated energy lanced through the air. Piccolo's signature technique drew a brilliant line through the void, targeting Toppo's exposed back.
The Justice Trooper's eyes flicked sideways. He raised one arm casually—
THWACK.
The Special Beam Cannon struck his forearm and simply stopped. Toppo's arm went slightly numb from the impact, but the technique barely even slowed him down.
Against Toppo's overwhelming strength, even Piccolo's ultimate attack was insufficient.
The Namekian's face fell. "This is bad."
"Are you his ally?" Toppo's voice carried the weight of absolute conviction. "If you seek to obstruct justice, I will show you no mercy!"
He hurled Majin Buu aside like garbage and turned his full attention toward Piccolo. Energy gathered around his arm—not a beam, but a cannon. The technique roared as it launched, its surging power dwarfing Piccolo's Special Beam Cannon by an order of magnitude.
"UNCLE PICCOLO!" Gohan abandoned his Mystic form, golden aura blazing as he transformed into Super Saiyan and rocketed toward his mentor. He skidded to a stop between Piccolo and the attack, hands thrust forward. "MASENKO!"
Twin energy waves collided in mid-air.
The explosion was catastrophic. Shockwaves rippled outward in every direction. The wind howled. The ground between Piccolo and Toppo simply split—a fissure so wide it separated them onto different chunks of arena floor. Piccolo and Gohan found themselves standing on a floating island that drifted away from the main battlefield.
"You possess divine ki as well." Toppo studied Gohan with a mixture of appreciation and seriousness. "Every universe harbors exceptional talents, it seems." His expression hardened. "In that case, I have no choice but to—"
BOOM!
An energy blast struck him from behind, dead-center on his back. The attack punched a hole straight through the Pride Trooper uniform, scorching the fabric. Smoke rose from his muscular back.
Toppo's face darkened. He turned slowly. "You... you're all working together."
Android 17 brushed hair from his face, approaching with measured steps. "That's right. You're strong—I'll give you that. But dealing with all of us at once? That's going to be difficult even for you."
"FOOLS!" Toppo's hand shot up and ripped his uniform open, tearing the damaged cloth away entirely.
He looked around at the assembled fighters—Piccolo, Gohan, Android 17, and Majin Buu struggling to rise. Something shifted in his eyes. Something final.
"The justice burning in my heart has prevented me from revealing this power," Toppo said, his voice carrying across the battlefield. Every word resonated with grim determination. "But for Universe Eleven's survival, I must cast aside such restraint. I don't wish to kill you—so I'm giving you one chance. FLEE NOW!"
After the imposing declaration, veins bulged across Toppo's forehead and temples. His face became more savage, more primal than anything they'd seen before.
Piccolo's expression grew grave. "He's not bluffing."
Indeed, Toppo wasn't lying. Hidden power—tremendous, terrible power—remained locked away inside the Justice Trooper. And once that power fully manifested, it would be enough to crush each of them individually.
"SEVENTEEN!" Piccolo's hands snapped into attack position. "NOW!"
The android immediately grasped Piccolo's intent. Gohan and the recovered Majin Buu attacked simultaneously—they needed to disrupt Toppo before his transformation completed.
Four devastating energy waves converged on Toppo from different angles. Every deity in the stands—every eliminated fighter—watched with shocked expressions as brilliant light illuminated their faces.
But what stunned them even more was what happened next.
A figure walked through the combined assault. Toppo pushed aside the energy beams like they were curtains—moving with eerie, impossible ease. The attacks that should have vaporized him simply parted around his body.
His eyes gleamed with light that only one class of being possessed. His hands gathered energy that radiated a specific, unmistakable signature—purple, crackling, wrong.
Destructive Energy. The power of Gods of Destruction.
Shocked silence gripped the divine observers.
Then Universe Eleven's deity erupted in laughter. "HAHAHA! Of course Toppo can use Hakai energy! He's my chosen successor—the God of Destruction candidate for Universe Eleven!" The god puffed out his chest proudly. "I'm planning to retire soon. Might as well let the young generation show what they're capable of!"
"Lord Iwan!" Arak from Universe One leaned forward urgently. "Their universe has TWO fighters at this level?! Can we possibly win against that?"
"Shazazero's strength matches mine." Iwan's confidence wavered slightly. "He could defeat this Toppo in single combat. But..." His eyes tracked across the battlefield toward Jiren. "Why does their universe also have someone who seems even stronger than a God of Destruction?"
Tension rippled through the divine spectators. This was essentially like fielding an actual God of Destruction as a contestant. How was that fair?!
Even Beerus looked unsettled. "This is blatant cheating! You fielded a God of Destruction candidate! Why don't you just retire right now and fight in the tournament yourself?!"
Raditz responded to the complaint with a wry smile. "Let's not waste energy on arguments. None of our fighters have been eliminated yet—that's what matters. Tarble's holding his position, Broly's still rampaging effectively. Only Gohan and the others face real difficulty."
"'Some difficulty'?!" Beerus's voice climbed several octaves. "The opponent can use HAKAI!"
"True, but killing is forbidden in this tournament. If Toppo kills anyone, he's immediately disqualified." Raditz's tone remained measured. "And if things become truly desperate, they can retreat and regroup."
"Hmph." Beerus gritted his teeth, frustration radiating from every pore. "Since when does Universe Seven resort to defensive tactics? Intolerable."
Raditz watched the battlefield descend into chaos. Toppo had become a one-man army, chasing down all four Universe Seven fighters simultaneously. The dominance of Hakai energy was absolute—it could erase anything, even the arena itself. Everyone understood its terrifying nature. Normal ki attacks became worthless against it. Even Super Saiyan Gohan didn't dare approach within striking distance.
Majin Buu attempted his signature tactic—he'd separated a portion of his body earlier, leaving it hidden as a trap. The pink mass launched itself at Toppo from behind, seeking to engulf and absorb the Justice Trooper.
But the moment Buu's malleable flesh touched Toppo's aura of Hakai energy, it simply dissolved. The pink matter melted like ice under a blowtorch, erased from existence before absorption could even begin.
"Even that didn't work!" Beerus's anxiety was palpable now.
Universe Eleven had maintained an excellent record—only two fighters eliminated so far. Their remaining members were systematically destroying warriors from Universe Three and Universe Eight. Another complete universe elimination seemed likely.
If Toppo alone defeated four Universe Seven fighters, the situation would become critical.
"Don't panic." Raditz's voice carried certainty despite the chaos. "I considered this possibility before selecting Majin Buu for the team. There's a solution."
"What solution?! Buu can't absorb someone radiating Hakai—"
Beerus stopped mid-sentence. His eyes widened with sudden understanding.
"Exactly," Raditz said quietly. "If Buu can't absorb Toppo... he can absorb our own fighters instead."