"Very well. As you wish."
Vados picked up her staff.
The crystal ball atop it immediately emitted a series of beeping sounds, much like a modern phone connecting a call.
"Go ahead and ask."
Vados moved the staff in front of Gran.
Gran knew that the person on the other end was Whis. Helplessly, he asked,
"Whis, please ask Lord Beerus whether he wants me to become Universe 6's God of Destruction Candidate as well."
Very quickly, a deep voice sounded from the crystal ball.
"Yes."
Gran recognized the voice immediately.
It was Beerus.
And the way Beerus spoke was unusually serious and low, without even a trace of his usual laziness.
He clearly wasn't joking.
"So it really is true…"
Gran let out a bitter smile and pushed the staff back.
"Alright then. Lord Beerus, you can go away now."
Unlike Gran's reaction, Champa and Fuwa immediately hugged each other once again.
The two chubby gods bounced around the Destroyer Realm in excitement.
Vados also smiled.
Truthfully, she had wanted Gran for herself for a very long time.
Back then, however, Whis had gotten there first.
Now, after all these years, Gran had finally become one of her people.
"This feels wonderful! Ohohoho~"
Vados even let out the same peculiar laugh as Whis.
"..."
Gran's mouth twitched.
Had this entire group gone crazy?
At that moment, the atmosphere of the Destroyer Realm became incredibly lively.
After some time, the excitement in Champa and the others finally settled down.
The three of them surrounded Gran, staring at him as though he were some priceless treasure.
"What are you all trying to do?"
Gran swallowed nervously.
"Obviously we're going to make you Universe 6's God of Destruction Candidate!"
Champa said excitedly.
He had been waiting for this moment for years.
He quickly gestured toward Vados, urging her to complete the process.
The sooner, the better.
Who knew what might happen if they delayed?
"It'll only take a moment."
Vados didn't hesitate.
She waved her staff.
A silver ray of light entered Gran's body.
Gran was already wearing the attire of a God of Destruction Candidate, so there was no visible change in his appearance.
However, a new authority emerged within him.
This authority was connected directly to Universe 6.
The sensation was extremely familiar.
It was exactly the same feeling he had experienced when he first became Universe 7's God of Destruction Candidate.
"Hahaha! Gran is finally one of us now!"
Champa twisted his waist and waved his arms around, performing a strange little dance.
The sight was painful to watch.
Vados: "..."
Fuwa: "..."
Gran also found it hard to look directly at him.
Turning toward Vados, he asked,
"Me becoming the God of Destruction Candidate for both Universe 6 and Universe 7 at the same time... there really won't be any problems?"
"No."
Vados shook her head.
"The Omni-King has never established a rule stating that one person cannot simultaneously serve as the God of Destruction Candidate for two universes."
"What about an actual God of Destruction?"
Gran asked.
"Can the same person inherit the position of God of Destruction for two universes?"
"..."
Vados froze.
In her eagerness to recruit Gran, she hadn't even considered that question.
"Now that I think about it…"
She pondered for a moment.
"There doesn't seem to be any rule against that either."
Gran's lips twitched.
The laws governing the Omni-King's cosmos seemed a little underdeveloped.
Beside him, Champa patted him on the shoulder.
"It's fine. I told you before—if you ever wanted to become Universe 6's God of Destruction, I'd step down immediately."
"Lord Champa, that's not quite right."
Gran grinned.
"If I remember correctly, what you actually said back then was that if I wanted to become Universe 6's God of Destruction, you'd die on the spot and give me your position."
The moment those words were spoken, Vados burst out laughing.
Back when they had been planning to kidnap little Gran, Champa really had tried to tempt him with exactly those words.
Meanwhile, Fuwa's eyes widened.
He had never imagined that Champa would be willing to make such an enormous sacrifice for the future of Universe 6.
"Lord Champa, you…"
Fuwa's eyes became misty with emotion.
"Get lost!"
Seeing his partner actually take it seriously, Champa stomped his foot in embarrassment.
Turning toward Gran, he placed his hands on his hips.
"What kind of emotional intelligence is that?"
"I was joking! Couldn't you tell?"
"Hahaha!"
Gran laughed.
"So Lord Champa was joking. That's a bit disappointing."
"Hmph! Of course I was joking!"
Champa snorted.
"Could you stop trying to annoy me all day long?"
"Relax, relax."
Gran was thoroughly amused and finally stopped teasing him.
Truthfully, he had never once considered becoming a true God of Destruction.
The lives of Gods of Destruction were linked to those of their Supreme Kais.
He wanted no part of that arrangement.
Besides, this world respected strength above all else.
Even if he never became a true God of Destruction, with his current power, which God of Destruction would dare look down on him merely because he was a candidate?
"You and Lord Beerus can continue being Gods of Destruction."
Gran sat back down at the tea table and took another sip.
"I have no interest in that position."
Champa, Vados, and Fuwa exchanged glances.
It was obvious that Gran wasn't joking.
But after thinking about it carefully, it made perfect sense.
Given Gran's strength, he truly had no reason to covet the title of God of Destruction.
Beerus's purpose in making Gran Universe 6's candidate was, more than anything, to give him another avenue through which to cultivate the Law of Destruction.
"I was originally planning to disband Roz and the others once you became Universe 6's candidate."
Champa returned to his seat beside Gran.
"But now that I think about it, I'd better keep them around."
"No, definitely keep them."
Gran only intended to serve as a candidate for Universes 6 and 7.
He had no intention of ever taking the actual throne.
"I understand what you're thinking."
Vados poured fresh tea into Gran's empty cup.
"But no matter what, Universe 6 has gained you. That's already a tremendous improvement."
Although Champa appeared hardworking after years of her guidance, the truth was that he and Beerus weren't very different.
Both were equally lazy.
Now that Gran was helping, Universe 6's future ranking would undoubtedly rise as well.
"Lord Fuwa."
Vados turned toward the Supreme Kai.
"Universe 7 has already begun its ascent. If we don't want to fall behind, then on the side of creation, you'll need to keep up."
"That's right, that's right!"
Champa nodded enthusiastically.
"From now on, destruction will be Gran's responsibility. As for creation, it'll all be up to you, Fuwa!"
For the first time, he truly understood how wonderful it felt to have Gran as a God of Destruction Candidate.
"Leave it to me!"
Fuwa narrowed his eyes.
For perhaps the first time ever, his expression was utterly serious.
He clearly remembered that Gran's goal was to raise Universe 7 to first place among all universes.
Fuwa wasn't greedy.
He only wanted Universe 6 to rank immediately behind Universe 7.
In other words...
Second place would be more than enough.
Thank you to everyone who is still here and continuing this journey with me. Whether you've been reading since the beginning or only recently discovered the story. The story is still far from over, and there are many exciting arcs, battles, and surprises waiting ahead.
Thank you all for being part of this adventure. Let's continue this journey together!
— mrbehringer