Inside Universe 6's observation room, Champa stood perfectly still, his eyes fixed on the enormous screen before him. His normally stern face was now as rigid as stone, revealing nothing about what was going through his mind.
At this point, Champa had effectively staked the future of his entire universe on Universe 7. He couldn't have cared less about someone as notorious and thoroughly rotten as Frost.
The man was infamous across the universes, so Champa had no complaints when the warriors from Universe 7 gave him the beating he deserved. Frost was ultimately expendable; even if he disappeared from the tournament entirely, it wouldn't make much difference to Champa.
But regardless of his feelings toward Frost, Champa had to admit that Universe 7's strength had left him stunned. Not a single one of their fighters had been eliminated!
Universe 6 had also kept its entire team intact, but that had less to do with their individual strength and more to do with Hit's Spatial Prison. Without Hit, Universe 6 would probably have had only one or two lucky survivors by now.
Before the Tournament of Power began, Champa had been confident that he had prepared for every possibility and that his universe would achieve an ideal result. Reality had struck him hard.
He had severely underestimated Universe 7, whose preparations for the tournament had been far more thorough than he had imagined.
"Lord Champa, it seems you'll have to benefit from Lord Beerus's success this time." Vados blinked playfully, a teasing smile tugging at her lips as she looked at the contemplative Champa.
His brow was furrowed as he considered the implications of their alliance with Universe 7. His eyes moved across each of Universe 7's fighters in the inner arena, and the more he watched, the more astonished he became. Every one of them was exceptionally powerful; any one of those fighters could rank among Universe 6's top three!
In the past, facing opponents like these might have filled Champa with dread, but things were different now. Their two universes had successfully formed an alliance!
Had Vados said this only a few minutes earlier, Champa would probably have felt humiliated and furious. But with the survival of Universe 6 hanging in the balance, excitement had already overwhelmed him. Who cared about pride at a time like this?
"Hehehe! You're right, Vados! Looks like we really are going to ride Beerus's coattails this time!" Champa rubbed his hands together, grinning so widely that he couldn't hide his delight. "Honestly, Vados, why didn't you tell me about Hit's plan sooner? You had me worried sick! I thought we were finished!"
He sounded somewhat reproachful, but there was no real blame in his eyes. The enormous weight pressing down on Champa's heart had finally disappeared, allowing him to relax completely.
Remembering how viciously he had cursed Beerus earlier, only to find himself depending on his brother now, he couldn't help feeling slightly embarrassed. That embarrassment quickly vanished beneath his excitement over the benefits to come. Eating his own words had never tasted so good.
...
Meanwhile, inside Universe 7's observation room, Beerus wore a smug, triumphant smile. Not one of Universe 7's fighters had been eliminated!
Despite his delight, however, Beerus was also confused. He couldn't understand how every fighter from Universe 6 had managed to advance as well.
More importantly, Trunks and the Cell Junior had emerged from the same advancement passage alongside Hit. What was going on?
Beerus turned impatiently toward Whis.
"Hey, Whis! What are Trunks and the Cell Junior doing? Normally, that passage should only allow fighters from a single universe to pass through. For something like this to happen, unless…"
Whis smiled knowingly before continuing, "Lord Beerus, your guess is correct. They must have reached some kind of agreement. In my opinion, Universe 7 has most likely formed an alliance with Universe 6."
Beerus frowned. "An alliance? Universe 7 is actually joining forces with Universe 6? What a joke! With our strength, why would we need their help?"
His reaction was intense. At first, Beerus hadn't known how strong Universe 7's team was because its members hadn't gathered together at the beginning. But after watching the battles unfold, he had concluded that Universe 6 wasn't anything special.
"Lord Beerus, I'm sure Trunks has a reason for doing this," Whis replied. "After spending so much time with him in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, surely you noticed that he never acts without a purpose. Besides, the alliance hasn't harmed Universe 7 in any way so far. And as an added benefit, you can use this opportunity to make Lord Champa owe you a favor. Wouldn't that be even better?"
Whis's final point immediately extinguished Beerus's anger. If they won the tournament, Universe 6 would survive as well. Beerus imagined Champa treating him with the utmost respect; his twin brother, who was always at odds with him, would soon owe him a debt of gratitude. The thought alone was incredibly satisfying.
"Hmph. Whis, stay out of our business."
That was what Beerus said aloud, but inwardly, he was thoroughly enjoying himself.
(End Of This Chapter)
You can read ahead up to 60 chapters on my Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/darkshadow6395