Chapter 28 – Natural Ultra Instinct
The wave of energy fired by the God of Destruction, Beerus, carried power that far exceeded his current level of strength.
If he were to face it head-on, Tachibana Kyūjō was absolutely certain he wouldn't be able to withstand it. He understood that all too clearly.
And yet, in a moment this dire, Tachibana Kyūjō's expression remained as calm as the surface of a still lake, unshaken by even the slightest ripple.
He brought his index and middle fingers together, raised them upward, forming a sword-like mudra. In a low but steady voice, he called out:
"Use Ki as the trigger—turn Ki into a sword!"
"Focus the mind, control the sword with the spirit!"
"Disperse—!"
In an instant, a blinding golden flash streaked forth like lightning tearing through space itself.
The massive golden sword he had formed moments earlier shattered under Tachibana Kyūjō's control, splitting into thousands of small blades radiating brilliant golden light.
Those swords of light moved like a school of fish swimming freely, turning the vast universe into an ocean where they drifted and danced.
Beerus's Destructive Energy Wave slipped through the gaps between the swords like a gentle current, failing to stir even the smallest disturbance. Not a single blade so much as trembled.
— — —
Beerus and Whis stood frozen, staring at the countless shimmering blades surrounding them from every direction.
"What… what is this supposed to be…?"
The star field that had once been engulfed in darkness was now flooded with light, illuminated by Tachibana Kyūjō's spectacular maneuver.
But it wasn't over yet. The small swords that had avoided the wave of destruction responded once more to Tachibana Kyūjō's will, surging toward the God of Destruction in a single, unified motion.
Thousands of swords of light charged forward in formation, creating a violently shaking torrent.
Beerus, unable to fully comprehend Tachibana Kyūjō's technique, finally began to feel genuine tension.
He immediately summoned the destructive energy within his body and spread it outward, forming a five-meter radius around himself.
However, just as the swords of light closed in, Beerus realized he had overthought things…
Wave after wave of golden blades, like moths diving into a raging flame, plunged straight into Beerus's circle of destruction.
In mere seconds, every single sword was burned away.
At the same time, Tachibana Kyūjō's aura began to fade.
His appearance shifted, reverting from Super Saiyan 3 back to his normal form.
The Giant Sword of Light from earlier had completely drained Kyūjō's Ki. The thousands of smaller swords that followed were nothing more than a mental technique—controlling the swords with Ki, without consuming what little physical energy he had left.
Suddenly, Beerus appeared right in front of Tachibana Kyūjō, his face twisted in irritation.
"You sly little… your moves are way too flashy and overdone!"
Tachibana Kyūjō gave a wry smile and replied politely, "You flatter me too much, Lord Beerus. It was nothing more than a meaningless little trick."
But inwardly, he was grumbling:
'Flashy, you say? If it weren't for you, old man, breaking your promise today, I'd have diced you up a long time ago!'
At that moment, Whis appeared beside the two of them and spoke calmly.
"Lord Beerus, the energy you used just now far surpassed Kyūjō's current level of strength. If your powers were truly equal, I believe you wouldn't be able to defeat our chef so easily."
"As for Kyūjō, I must admit—your talent in combat rivals your skill in cooking. I can even sense a faint trace of divine aura within you."
Rather than angering Beerus, Whis's words reignited his fighting spirit.
"Oh? If you put it that way, you've definitely piqued my interest… When will I finally get to fight him seriously, I wonder? Train harder… Saiyan!"
With those words, Beerus vanished from sight.
Left alone with Whis, Tachibana Kyūjō turned to him with curiosity and asked, "Lord Whis… can an ordinary human really become a god?"
Whis nodded lightly and answered,
"As long as someone possesses outstanding potential in a certain aspect, they may become a Supreme Kai—or even a God of Destruction. Even Lord Beerus himself… was once nothing more than an ordinary human."
"However, for you, this discussion is still premature. If you wish to become a god, Kyūjō, then you must work even harder."
— — —
After his battle with Beerus ended, Tachibana Kyūjō began his three-year period as a worker—though most of his time was still devoted to martial training. He only worked as a chef in between his training sessions.
With Beerus and Whis as his teachers, his growth became astonishingly fast.
In just half a year, he fully absorbed the power increase granted by Super Saiyan 3.
Now, he no longer needed that transformation. Even without changing forms, his base strength alone had already surpassed 100 billion.
And since the transformation no longer provided any increase in power, he abandoned it completely.
Unlike Goku and Vegeta in the original story, who still relied on transformations when facing powerful enemies, Kyūjō chose to train his body to its optimal limit, achieving complete control reinforced by his mental strength.
To him, power that only emerged in emergencies and couldn't be fully controlled was not true power.
Tachibana Kyūjō believed that the path he was walking now was the one best suited for him.
As long as he could fully master all of his own strength, even without becoming a Super Saiyan, he would still stand as the strongest warrior!
It was at that exact moment, deep in the midst of his training, that a thought suddenly crossed his mind…
It seemed… he had forgotten about Blue Pearl on Planet Zuno!
If he counted carefully, hadn't seven years already passed a few months ago?
Tachibana Kyūjō immediately went to see Beerus and Whis to request a short leave, explaining that he wanted to return to Planet Zuno to pick up Blue Pearl—he himself didn't know whether Blue Pearl had already found the answer she was searching for or not.
— — —
For the past six months, Beerus had been extremely satisfied with Tachibana Kyūjō's cooking. Every single day, this chef presented dishes he had never tasted before, to the point that Beerus didn't even dare to sleep soundly.
He was afraid that if he fell asleep, three whole years might pass in the blink of an eye—and that would be an unbearable loss for him.
So when Tachibana Kyūjō came to request a short leave, Beerus approved it almost instantly.
However… both Beerus and Whis secretly boarded Tachibana Kyūjō's Golden Flash and flew along with him.
To be honest, these two food lovers were worried that Kyūjō might suddenly decide to run away with his ship.
With the Golden Flash's speed and Tachibana Kyūjō's ability to completely conceal his aura, if he truly escaped, even Whis might not be able to find him in a short time.
— — —
In the blink of an eye, Tachibana Kyūjō's Golden Flash arrived at the outer orbit of Planet Zuno.
Kyūjō himself didn't disembark. He merely instructed his crew to go pick up Blue Pearl.
Gazing at the uniquely shaped Planet Zuno before them, Whis blinked softly and asked with curiosity, "Kyūjō-san, what business brings you to Planet Zuno? Is there a question you wish to ask him?"
Looking at the Angel, Tachibana Kyūjō pondered for a moment before answering calmly, "Lord Whis, through an information channel, I learned that this world consists of Twelve Universes. And right now, we are in Universe 7."
"You and Lord Beerus are the Angel and God of Destruction of Universe 7. I want to become stronger. I want to fight opponents far more powerful. But… at present, it's very difficult to find an equal opponent in our universe."
"That's why I intend to go to another universe to achieve that goal. But I don't know how. I heard that Zuno knows the answers to all questions in this world, so I sent my subordinates here to ask."
"I myself don't know whether I'll get the answer I'm hoping for. But Lord Whis, no matter the result, I will still honor my promise. Until these three years are over, I will not leave the Planet of the God of Destruction."
Hearing this, Whis merely frowned slightly and said nothing. Beside him, however, the God of Destruction Beerus frowned deeply, his expression serious, as he spoke:
"You said you want to go to another universe, Saiyan?"
Kyūjō scratched his head awkwardly. "That's right, Lord Beerus. But don't worry, there are still two and a half years left. After our contract ends, then I'll leave…"
Beerus waved his hand sharply, cutting him off.
"Do you know that such an action is absolutely forbidden? Ten thousand years ago, the Grand Priest established a rule that living beings from one universe are not allowed to cross the boundary and enter another universe by any means."
"Anyone who violates it gives the God of Destruction the right to erase them. Fortunately, you haven't actually done it yet. Otherwise… even I wouldn't be able to disobey the Grand Priest's order."
Those words left Tachibana Kyūjō silent.
So mortals weren't allowed to go to other universes?
But… in the future, wouldn't you yourself hold a Tournament of Destruction against the God of Destruction from Universe 6, Champa? And wouldn't many beings from Universe 6 come here at that time?
Just then, Whis suddenly spoke up.
"Actually… that doesn't mean it's completely impossible."
"If you were to become a God of Destruction—or more precisely, an Apprentice God of Destruction—you could obtain part of the divine authority that normally belongs only to gods."
As he spoke, Whis winked twice at Kyūjō.
Beerus looked even more irritated. "Absolutely not! I'm still alive! I don't need an Apprentice God of Destruction!"
Whis ignored Beerus and continued explaining to Tachibana Kyūjō in greater detail.
"Each of the Twelve Universes has one God of Destruction and one Supreme Kai. Together, they maintain balance—one responsible for destruction, the other for creation."
"As a precaution against emergencies that could disrupt that balance, Gods of Destruction and Supreme Kai usually select disciples or successors, known as apprentice gods. In human terms, you could call them 'official disciples'."
"At present, Lord Beerus does not have an Apprentice God of Destruction. If you could become his disciple, you would also gain some of the privileges belonging to the gods."
Whis then turned to Beerus. "Lord Beerus, in my opinion, Kyūjō-san is quite suitable. Besides, if he becomes your disciple, wouldn't he be able to handle part of your duties as well…?"
"And don't forget, Kyūjō's cooking is truly exquisite. If your agreement ends and he leaves, are you really willing to lose all those delicious meals?"
After saying that, Whis added nothing more.
He believed that Lord Beerus would make a decision that benefited everyone involved.
Of course, there was another reason Whis was pushing Beerus so strongly to accept Kyūjō as a disciple. Aside from the food, there was something important…
That was his own younger brother—Merus, the Apprentice Angel.
The relationship between Merus and Kyūjō was very close. If the two of them became official partners, it would surely bring joy to his younger brother.
But all of this still depended on one thing—whether Tachibana Kyūjō truly possessed divine talent.
When it came to Ultra Instinct, Tachibana's potential was extremely high. Based on Whis's observations, it might only take a short time before he fully mastered it.
However, for a God of Destruction, Ultra Instinct was merely supplementary. To become a true God of Destruction, there was one absolute requirement:
Mastering "Ultra Ego"—a transcendent state that allows one to awaken the power of a God of Destruction within their body, transforming a mortal body into a divine one.
If Kyūjō couldn't achieve it, that meant he lacked the qualifications to become a God of Destruction.
Of course, Ultra Instinct could also awaken Divine Power, but that was the power of Angels—not the Power of Destruction.
Yet in the midst of these thoughts, Whis suddenly remembered a shocking possibility.
What if Tachibana managed to master both "Ultra Instinct" and "Ultra Ego" at the same time…?
Then he would become a being who possessed the divine powers of both an Angel and a God of Destruction simultaneously!
Why "again"?
Because such a being had existed before.
For example… his own father—the Grand Priest, a being who mastered both "Ultra Instinct" and "Ultra Ego," possessing two divine powers within a single body!
And even higher than that… were Zeno and the Dragon God Zalama!
Zeno and Zalama were supreme beings who controlled three divine realms at once, with three godly powers fused into a single existence!
Zeno possessed yet another divine power—Nature Instinct, the power of creation wielded only by true Supreme Kai!
Ultra Instinct, Ultra Ego, and Nature Instinct—three transcendent divine powers!
Zeno, the supreme ruler, created the entire Multiverse with these three powers. Beyond the Twelve Universes, he even created many other worlds whose existence even Whis himself did not know.
This secret fact had once been accidentally revealed to Whis by the Grand Priest.
Meanwhile, the Dragon God Zalama was an existence equal to Zeno, born at the same time as him.
Zalama mastered Ultra Instinct and Ultra Ego, as well as another dark and unknown divine power…
Tens of billions of years ago, he was defeated by Zeno and exiled to an unknown alternate dimension.
— — —
Whis slowly shook his head. He realized he had been thinking too far ahead today.
Competing with Zeno? It would be better to focus first on fully mastering "Ultra Ego"…
— — —
Author's Note:
This chapter is purely the result of combined research and creativity. I personally feel the idea is quite reasonable, haha.
As for Dragon God Zalama—I adapted that from fanfiction, not official Dragon Ball information, so please don't take it too seriously.
(In the fanmade anime "Anime War," Zalama is the first Grand Priest, one of the four oldest Creator Gods, and also the strongest Demon God in the entire multiverse. He is far stronger than the Angels and intends to overthrow Zeno!)
Some people say the Grand Priest is stronger than Zeno—there's no definitive answer. But in my version: Zeno is no.1, Zalama is no.2, Grand Priest is no.3, and the full explanation has already been covered in this chapter.
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