...
The place where Universe 6 once existed had now become nothing but void.
The gathered deities watched the projection conjured by Vados, each of them wearing expressions of deep shock.
In the distance.
Quitela hovered behind Gran and unleashed "Destruction."
Crack!
The sound of chains shattering echoed from Gran's body—his bodily instinct had officially broken through from the Third Level into the Fourth Level.
The Fourth Level of bodily instinct belonged to the realm of a true God of Destruction.
Even Quitela himself had only reached the peak of the Fourth Level.
At the very instant of Gran's breakthrough—
His body moved with terrifying speed, effortlessly evading Quitela's fatal strike.
"What?!"
Quitela stared at Gran's back, sensing the change.
"Your bodily instinct broke through?! That's impossible!!"
"Heh… I really was just one step away from death."
Gran slowly turned around. Now, every movement he made resembled those of the Gods of Destruction—each gesture imbued with profound martial truth.
"How could you break through again so quickly?! I don't believe it!!"
Quitela roared hysterically.
He understood all too well what this breakthrough meant—
It meant his death was now inevitable.
"Die!!"
Like a madman, Quitela launched a relentless assault.
Uppercuts. Sweeping kicks. Every form of close-combat technique burst forth.
Power at the mid–Seventh Level rippled through the void, distorting it like ocean waves. Time itself froze once more.
But now...
Quitela's speed was no longer beyond perception.
Faced with his attacks, Gran dodged with ease. And whenever an opening appeared—
He struck.
Clean.
Precise.
Deadly.
Just as Whis had once said—
Gran's attacks no longer carried unnecessary motion.
Every strike was efficient—fast, ruthless, and exact.
A punch slammed into Quitela's abdomen.
A blade-like strike severed his rat tail.
A kick crushed one of his eyes.
...
"AAAAAAARGH!!"
Quitela's injuries piled up, yet he showed no intention of retreating. Instead, he grew even more ferocious.
Destruction energy. Self-Mastery. Various divine techniques—
He unleashed them all.
Enduring agony across body, soul, and will—
He forced his power even higher.
Seventh Level—Peak!!!
Vast energy erupted, stirring thunder and apocalyptic storms. It was like the arrival of Ragnarok itself—an utterly terrifying sight.
"Is this his final desperate counterattack?"
"…No!"
"This isn't it. He must still have an even more terrifying power hidden within him. If that erupts, I won't come out unscathed… I'll have to become even stronger!"
These thoughts flashed in an instant.
And yet..
Gran felt no fear.
Only excitement.
"By all logic, after over 300 years in the Time Chamber, my S-cells should be enough to enter Super Saiyan 4…"
"Don't fail me now!"
Gran rapidly retreated.
In moments, he returned to a position not far in front of Beerus and the other gods.
"Vados! I need your help—remove the seal behind me!" Gran shouted.
…?
The gathered gods were stunned.
They had no idea what "the seal behind him" meant.
Only Beerus and the Old Supreme Kai understood.
Back when Gran had been brought to the Supreme Kai Realm, his tail had already been gone. Later, at Gran's request, Whis had temporarily sealed it.
And according to the Old Supreme Kai's analysis—
That tail was closely tied to the Saiyans' ultimate state.
"Lord Beerus… could it be…?" The Old Supreme Kai trembled with excitement.
Beerus immediately burst into laughter.
"That's right! He could already turn Super Saiyan when he was just a kid—after all these years, there's no way he hasn't progressed!"
Their conversation only deepened the confusion of the other Gods of Destruction and Angels.
However.
The Angels had already sensed it.
There truly was a seal behind Gran—
And it had been placed by Whis.
"Very well."
Vados was about to remove the seal when—
The God of Destruction of Universe 12, Giin, suddenly spoke:
"This is a life-and-death battle between Quitela and Gran. If you interfere, wouldn't that be unfair?"
In truth, he didn't know what Gran intended—
But he knew one thing:
If that seal were broken, something would definitely change.
And when that happened—
Gran would likely survive.
As soon as Giin spoke, all eyes turned toward him.
"Unfair?!"
Champa exploded in anger.
"A God of Destruction attacking a candidate in the first place—isn't that already unfair?!"
"Why are you even arguing with him?!"
Beerus shoved Champa aside and stared coldly at Giin.
"If you want to die, I don't mind sending you off myself."
His voice was icy.
Giin trembled instantly.
There was a standing order from Grand Zeno forbidding Gods of Destruction from fighting each other—
But Beerus was a madman.
Giin didn't dare gamble.
He shut his mouth.
Belmod clicked his tongue in disdain.
Universe 7 was clearly rising—
Yet this fool still couldn't read the situation.
The other Gods of Destruction looked at Giin as if he were an idiot.
"Gran—it's done!"
Vados ignored Giin completely. With a wave of her staff, Angelic magic enveloped the area behind Gran.
Even she felt a hint of excitement.
She had always believed—
Gran would reach that so-called "ultimate state."
Unbeknownst to them, Gran himself had never tested it before. His tail had always been sealed.
This—
Was his first attempt.
"Is it done?"
Gran glanced back.
Sure enough—
As Whis's seal broke, a tail instantly grew from behind him.
It felt strange—itchy, unfamiliar—
But he could clearly sense it:
A terrifying power lay dormant within it.
"Then… let's begin."
Seeing Quitela charging toward him again, Gran raised one hand.
A small white sphere of light appeared in his palm.
Its power didn't seem particularly strong—
Leaving the watching gods puzzled.
Wasn't removing the seal supposed to trigger some transformation?
Why did this attack look so weak?
Was he planning to use that tiny sphere against Quitela?
Even Beerus and the Old Supreme Kai were confused.
However.
If Vegeta were here...
He would recognize it instantly.
That white sphere…
Was an artificial moon.