The laziness and playfulness on Beerus's light purple cat-like face completely vanished, replaced by an unprecedented gravity.
His golden, slit pupils were locked onto the thin layer of silver light flowing around Whitley. His body was no longer casually relaxed; instead, he sank slightly, assuming a truly serious fighting stance.
The terrifying pressure of a God of Destruction emanated as if it were tangible, and even the wind seemed to freeze.
"Come on!"
Beerus's voice was low, carrying the weight of a formal declaration of war.
Whitley's silver-white pupils were calm, as deep as if they reflected the entire galaxy.
He did not hesitate for a moment, his movements as fast as a thunderbolt!
His figure blurred for an instant, and in the next moment, he had already appeared precisely in front of Beerus!
Whitley's movements were no longer just swift; they carried an indescribable elegance and rhythm, as if he had become one with the heavens and the earth.
A fist, wrapped in a faint silver glow, seemed gentle yet contained the power to pierce through space. It shot towards Beerus's face from a tricky angle!
Thud!
A muffled sound was heard!
Although Beerus managed to raise his arm to block in time, the extremely condensed force was still transmitted through his arm. The immense impact made his body stumble uncontrollably, and he had to do a clumsy somersault in the air to regain his balance!
"Oh?!"
Beerus shook his somewhat numb arm, the gravity on his face instantly melting away.
In its place was... a surprise like finding a new toy and a hint of relief?
He grinned, revealing sharp teeth, his golden pupils shining with an insightful light.
"So you're just a half-baked amateur! Haha! How interesting! Just a half-baked amateur?"
He had seen it!
Although Whitley had successfully triggered Ultra Instinct and manifested the silver glow, this power was like a rootless duckweed, its flow stagnant and obviously not truly stable. He was still a long way from the real Ultra Instinct, not even reaching the level of "Sign."
This wasn't "Ultra Instinct," but more of a "pseudo-state" achieved by forcibly touching the threshold through constant practice and his own talent!
But this half-baked state, combined with Whitley's already powerful foundation, was enough to make him feel surprised and... eager for a fight!
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang—!!!
Without any more words, the two instantly turned into two streaks of light and violently clashed again!
This time, the intensity of the battle was far beyond what it was before!
No clear figures could be seen in the sky, only two constantly flashing, colliding, separating, and instantly intertwining lights—one was the God of Destruction, flashing with a dangerous purple light, and the other was the Saiyan, flowing with a silver glow!
The intense sounds of their collisions echoed continuously like muffled thunder from the heavens!
Each clash produced a visible shockwave that tore the high-altitude clouds to shreds!
The desert plain below, under the terrifying sonic booms and energy aftershocks, was like a field repeatedly plowed by an invisible giant plow. Huge cracks spread continuously, and sand and dust were swept up thousands of meters into the air, forming a sandstorm that blotted out the sun!
"Good kid! Although you're just a half-baked amateur, but..."
Beerus's wild laughter was still clear amidst the dense sounds of collision.
"...you're qualified!!! Hahaha!"
Beerus, who couldn't remember the last time he had fought seriously, let out a hearty laugh!
As they spoke, the two once again clashed at a speed that surpassed the limits of vision!
A glint flashed in Beerus's eyes, and at the moment their fists met, his left hand shot out like a ghost and accurately grabbed Whitley's attacking right wrist!
"Hmph!"
Beerus let out a low grunt, his waist and abdomen tensing as he violently swung his arm!
Whitley felt an irresistible force, and his body instantly lost control, sent flying like a stone from a catapult!
With a whoosh—!, his figure drew a long silver trajectory in the air.
However, Beerus's speed was even faster than his! The moment he threw Whitley, his figure vanished like a teleport and, in the next second, appeared precisely behind Whitley's trajectory!
CRACK—!!!
A crisp, loud sound, so loud it even created a sonic boom, echoed!
Beerus, wearing a "mischievous" smile of success, delivered a powerful and tricky roundhouse kick that landed squarely on Whitley's completely unguarded... butt!
"Ugh—!"
Caught completely off guard, Whitley sucked in a breath of cold air in pain!
It wasn't just the physical pain; more importantly, this sudden "low blow," completely unfitting for Beerus's divine status, instantly disturbed the mystical state of mind he was desperately trying to maintain!
The silver glow on his body fluctuated violently, almost dissipating completely!
Whitley forcibly stabilized his figure, clutching his stinging butt. His silver-white pupils were filled with an incredible shame and anger. He gritted his teeth and glared at the "innocent"-looking, smiling Beerus in the distance.
"Beerus! Are you a sore loser?! A mighty God of Destruction kicking someone's butt?!"
"Ho ho ho~ In a fight, as long as you win, it's fine. Who made the rule that you can't kick butts?"
Beerus spread his hands, shamelessly righteous.
Whitley was speechless with anger and wasted no more words!
His hands moved rapidly in front of him, and countless silver ki blasts, compressed to the extreme, were instantly generated like a torrential rain, fiercely袭ing towards Beerus!
At the same time, his own figure was hidden behind the storm of ki blasts as he charged forward again!
Beerus's expression remained calm. His hands turned into a blurry purple light screen, accurately swatting away the incoming ki blasts as if they were flies!
His golden, slit pupils were firmly locked on the figure that followed closely behind the ki blasts!
Whitley's originally serious and somewhat ferocious face, from the shame and anger, now had a barely perceptible smile on his lips as he charged.
Just as he was about to pass the last ki blast and get close to Beerus—
Whitley's hands shot up to the sides of his forehead, his palms open and aimed at Beerus's sharp, golden pupils!
"SO—LAR—FLARE—!!!"
A roar like a clap of thunder exploded!
VMMMM—!!!!
An indescribably blinding golden light erupted from between Whitley's palms without any warning, instantly swallowing Beerus's vision!
The light was so intense it was as if the entire sky had turned golden!
Below the battle, Bulma couldn't see a thing in her aircraft and complained, "Hey! I can't see anything like this!"
"Ho ho ho~" Whis chuckled, standing beside Bulma's aircraft, casually deflecting a few ki blasts that Beerus had knocked away and might have hit her.
Hearing Bulma's complaint, he elegantly waved his staff, and a clear light screen projection instantly appeared in the cockpit of Bulma's aircraft.
The screen showed the battle between Whitley and Beerus, but the speed was slowed down countless times, like a slow-motion replay, enough for Bulma to see every detail.
"Wow! Thanks, Whis!"
Bulma exclaimed in surprise, her eyes immediately glued to the screen.
And then... tragedy struck.
The slow-motion replay on the screen happened to be at the part where Whitley brought his hands to his forehead, and the golden light erupted from between his palms...
VMMMM—!!!
Even through the slow-motion projection, Bulma was hit by Whitley's Solar Flare.
"Ah—! My eyes!!"
Bulma let out a pitiful cry and quickly covered her eyes.
After Beerus, she had also successfully been blinded by the "Solar Flare"...
In the sky, the world-destroying golden light flashed and quickly dissipated.
Beerus's eyes were tightly shut, a tear of frustration seeping from the corner.
He shook his head vigorously, trying to dispel the residual light spots and dizziness.
As a God of Destruction, his eyes couldn't be truly injured, but this sudden "blinding" effect made him feel an unprecedented... frustration!
Whitley's figure hovered not far away, watching Beerus's disheveled state with a grin, a hint of mischief in his silver-white pupils.
"Oh my? What's the matter, Lord Beerus? Can a noble god... be hurt by a mortal's little trick?"
He emphasized the word "noble."
"Bastard!!!"
Beerus snapped open his still-uncomfortable eyes, which were burning with rage!
This damn dog, I just kicked you once! How can you make a sneak attack sound so righteous?! This is outrageous! (Two damn dogs)
VMM!
The space seemed to twist for a moment.
Beerus's figure was still standing in the same spot, but another "Beerus" had appeared in front of Whitley without any warning, as if teleporting!
The speed surpassed the limits of Whitley's perception in his current state!
Beerus's fingers formed a knife-hand, his arm like a sharp blade that shrieked as it tore through space, viciously swinging towards Whitley's chest!
This blow contained his anger from being tricked by Whitley and his true power!
Whitley's pupils contracted to the size of pinpricks! He didn't even have time to dodge!
However, before his mind could even issue a command, his arms, as if by reflex, shot up and crossed in front of his chest!
The God Ki he had cultivated with Whis instinctively gathered in his arms!
BOOM—!!!!
A dull thud that made one's heart stop!
Whitley felt as if he had been hit head-on by a high-speed planet!
A sharp pain shot through his arms, his bones groaning under the strain!
His entire body, like a cannonball, was sent flying by this irresistible force! A trickle of blood escaped from his mouth!
Beerus didn't pause for a moment! His figure blurred again and instantly caught up with the flying Whitley, appearing at his side and above him!
This time, Whitley's body couldn't react completely!
POW!!!
A heavy punch, imbued with immense power, landed squarely on Whitley's left cheek!
"Ugh!"
Whitley's vision went black, and intense pain accompanied by a strong dizziness washed over him!
His body was completely out of control, falling towards the earth below like a kite with its string cut!
CRASH—!!!
Whitley's body crashed into the desert plain like a meteorite, kicking up a cloud of dust and forming a huge, deep crater!
"Whitley!"
Bulma's heart leaped into her throat. Forgetting the stinging in her eyes, she stared at the light screen.
The dust slowly settled.
In the center of the deep crater, Whitley was on one knee, his right hand on the ground, panting heavily.
There was blood at the corner of his mouth, and his left cheek was bruised and swollen, but his silver-white eyes were still sharp, staring deadly at the God of Destruction in the sky.
Beerus's figure slowly descended to the edge of the crater. He looked down at him, the anger in his golden pupils not yet subsided, but there was also a hint of seriousness.
"Yay! Whitley! Fight back!"
Seeing that Whitley didn't seem to be seriously injured, Bulma couldn't help but pump her fist and cheer softly.
"It's still too early for that, Miss Bulma."
Whis, at some point, had taken out another bag of snacks and was eating them gracefully, but his purple eyes were exceptionally bright.
"Next... Lord Beerus is going to get a little serious. And Whitley... his real fight may have just begun."
BOOM—!!!!
As if to confirm Whis's words, an even more terrifying purple aura erupted from Beerus's body!
He no longer floated, but stomped his feet on the ground! The desert plain beneath his feet instantly crumbled and shattered like a fragile cookie!
A huge sonic boom exploded behind him! His entire body turned into a destructive purple meteor, charging furiously towards Whitley in the crater with the force to crush everything!
He's coming!
Whitley's pupils contracted. His body could already feel the terrifying force that was enough to crush him!
He fought through the pain, the ki in his body circulating wildly!
With a flash, he no longer chose to take the hit head-on, but instead flew at high speed towards the higher sky—Earth's stratosphere!
Beerus sneered and followed behind Whitley. The two figures, one after the other, instantly broke through the cloud layer and arrived at the edge of Earth's atmosphere.
The air here was thin, the sun shone unhindered, below was the blue curve of the planet, and above was the deep, boundless universe.
The two of them stood in the air, separated by several thousand meters, at the edge of the almost-vacuum stratosphere. The violent airflow and the aftershocks of the fierce battle from before became weak here.
The purple aura on Beerus's body slowly receded, but the destructive pressure became even more condensed.
His golden, slit pupils looked at Whitley, no longer with the previous mockery and anger, but with a hint of... appreciation?
"Kid,"
Beerus's voice clearly traveled through the thin air to Whitley's ears.
"You're pretty good."
He narrowed his eyes slightly, as if making a decision, a tempting curve on his lips.
"Consider it. Do you want to be the Apprentice God of Destruction of Universe 7?"
Whitley was stunned, a hint of astonishment in his silver-white pupils.
He had imagined that Beerus would continue his fierce attack, would mock him, or might even use a stronger technique...
But he had never expected that in the middle of a battle, Beerus would extend such an olive branch! Apprentice God of Destruction?
Uh... Whitley barely hesitated and slowly shook his head.
"I refuse."
His voice was calm and firm.
Become a God of Destruction? What he pursued was the ultimate of his own power! The mystical Ultra Instinct! When he truly mastered the perfected Ultra Instinct, what was a mere God of Destruction...?
Beerus seemed to have expected this answer. He snorted coldly and said no more.
The fighting spirit in his golden pupils grew even more intense! If you don't want to be a God of Destruction, then prove your path with your strength!
No more words were needed! Whitley's eyes focused, and the silver glow around him flared again! This time, he took the initiative! His figure turned into a silver bolt of lightning that tore through space and shot straight at Beerus!
A purple light flared on Beerus's body, and he also turned into a destructive purple light to meet the attack!
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom—!!!
This time, the battle truly entered a white-hot stage! Neither of them held back!
The edge of the stratosphere was like countless nuclear bombs being detonated!
Each clash of fists and feet produced an energy storm ten times more terrifying than before!
Huge shockwaves, like tangible rings, spread wildly into space and the atmosphere below!
The earth was groaning! People were screaming!
Even from a distance of dozens of kilometers, the cities below felt strong tremors!
Glass windows shattered! Buildings swayed! Countless humans screamed in terror and ran to open areas, subconsciously looking up at the sky—
High above, the clouds were stirred into a huge hole by the terrifying force, and blinding lights flashed continuously within it, as if the apocalypse had arrived!
In the core area of their clash, the space itself, like fragile glass, was forcibly shattered, creating fine cracks!
Those were the traces of space being torn apart! A strong astral wind swept down from high above, forming a terrifying superstorm on the surface!
Finally! After another earth-shattering collision, the two were sent flying apart at the same time, facing each other from several thousand meters away.
Both of their auras were somewhat disordered, but their fighting spirit was burning at its peak!
"Kid!"
Beerus's voice carried a hint of a smile, but it was filled with approval.
"I admit you're pretty good! If you can block this next attack..."
He put his left hand behind his back and slowly raised his right hand, with one index finger held high!
VMMMM—!!!
A soul-trembling aura of destruction instantly gathered! A deep purple energy sphere, the size of a basketball and so deep it seemed to be able to swallow everything, appeared out of thin air at the tip of Beerus's index finger!
Inside the energy sphere, a purple light leaped wildly, exuding an aura of ultimate destruction!
Just the pressure of its existence made the silver glow around Whitley fluctuate violently, as if it would be extinguished at any moment!
"If you block it, then this fight, you win!"
Beerus's voice was cold and flat, with the authority of a god's judgment.
"Destroy."
As his voice fell, Beerus's index finger tapped lightly!
The energy sphere, which contained a trace of his God of Destruction power, was silent, but its speed was so fast it surpassed the limits of space and time, instantly crossing several thousand meters to appear in front of Whitley!
Where it passed, a dark, long-lasting scar was drawn in the space!
Whitley assumed a stance with both palms, looking at the incoming energy of destruction!
A scorching white light, containing a terrifyingly high temperature, was madly compressed and condensed between his palms!
However, the terrifying pressure contained in that destructive energy had already made Whitley's expression change dramatically before it even made contact!
His body felt as if it were being crushed by an invisible mountain! His bones groaned under the strain! This power... was far beyond the power Beerus had released before!
The white light in his hands was being madly compressed, but the speed of condensation... was too slow! It couldn't keep up with the speed of the incoming destruction sphere!
"Crap!"
For the first time, a hint of panic flashed in Whitley's silver-white pupils!
Not enough time to charge! There's no way I can complete the "White Heat Flash" in time to block this attack!!!
Am I... really going to lose?
Am I going to be... wiped out by this final blow?
NO!!!
An extremely intense unwillingness and anger, originating from the depths of his Saiyan bloodline, erupted in Whitley's heart like a volcano!
I won't accept this!!!!! A mere God of Destruction! How could I possibly lose?!
In this life-or-death, critical moment!
VMMMM—!!!
The originally stagnant, thin, and dim silver glow on Whitley's body suddenly became as brilliant as a supernova!
His eyes, which had only been tinged with a hint of silver at the edges, instantly widened to their limit!
The deep black color receded like a tide, and his entire pupils turned a pure silver-white, as if reflecting the truth of the universe!!!
An indescribable feeling instantly filled Whitley's entire body!
Time seemed to slow down in that moment!
His thoughts became clearer than ever before!
Every cell in his body was cheering!
He could feel it!
He could feel the most subtle flow of the gentle breeze high in the sky!
He could feel the powerful and vibrant pulse of the planet beneath his feet!
He could feel the deep and boundless tranquility of the vacuum of space above his head!
He could even feel... every node of the energy flow within that destruction energy, which contained the will of destruction!
It was as if he were no longer a fighter, but had become a part of all things in the universe!
He had become the flowing breeze, the pulsing earth, the quiet void... even, it seemed as if the heavens and the earth were cheering for him.
No need to think! No need to control!
The body moves with the will! The will moves with the thought!
This is... the true Ultra Instinct?!
In that instant of enlightenment, the "White Heat Flash" that Whitley had been charging, under his will that seemed to have grasped the essence of energy, was accelerated countless times! Compression, condensation, sublimation... all in one go!
And his movements also underwent an incredible change!
Facing the imminent destruction sphere, Whitley's original two-handed charging stance naturally changed to a single outstretched hand!
His fingers were spread, his palm facing the purple sphere that contained destruction!
His movements were as smooth as flowing water, completely natural, without a trace of effort, but they contained a wonderful rhythm!
Just as the destruction sphere was about to swallow him!
Whitley's pure silver pupils reflected the destructive purple light, his eyes calm and untroubled.
His lips moved slightly, and his indifferent voice slowly reached Beerus's pointed ears:
"White Heat... Flash."
VMMMM—!!!
A beam of pure white light, so condensed it was formless, shot out from Whitley's palm in an instant!
There was no earth-shattering commotion, no violent energy dissipation!
The beam, like the purest light, the sharpest sword, accurately pierced into the core of the destruction sphere!
Hiss—!!!
No explosion! Only a soft sound, like a hot knife cutting through butter!
The destruction energy, which was enough to destroy a planet, was like meeting its nemesis in the face of this white light, which contained all of Whitley's power and the essence of Ultra Instinct!
It was instantly pierced through and disintegrated! Not even a single extra fluctuation could spread out!
The white beam's momentum did not decrease! After destroying the destruction sphere, it did not pause for a moment and shot towards the now-pale-faced Beerus!!!
For the first time, an incredible horror appeared in Beerus's golden, slit pupils!
He had not expected Whitley to complete such a transformation in an instant and unleash such incredible power!
In his haste, he could only let out a loud shout and cross his arms tightly in front of him!
VMMMM—!!!
A purple God of Destruction ki, condensed to the extreme, gushed out and instantly formed an incomparably thick energy shield in front of him!
RUMBLE—!!!
The pure white beam slammed into the purple shield! This time, it was an earth-shattering explosion!
A terrifying torrent of energy erupted like a boiling ocean! It completely churned the thin gases of the stratosphere!
The blinding light illuminated half of the Earth, which was in darkness!
A few seconds later, the rushing torrent of energy slowly dissipated like a receding tide.
In the center of the explosion, Beerus's figure was still hovering there.
His crossed arms were trembling slightly, and his divine attire was damaged and scorched in several places, looking a little disheveled.
But his own ki was still strong, and he was clearly not seriously injured.
It was just that his cat-like face was filled with astonishment, gravity, and a... complexity from being deeply shaken.
Whitley remained in his single-handed outstretched pose, floating calmly in the distance.
The silver-white light on his body quickly receded like a tide, and his silver-white pupils also returned to their deep black color.
He looked calmly at the uncertain Beerus, his lips moved, and his voice was a little weak from exhaustion:
"Beerus, I... won..."
Before he could finish, the last of the light in Whitley's eyes quickly faded, and his body, as if losing all support, went limp and fell backward.
"WHITLEEEY—!!!"
Bulma let out a piercing scream in the aircraft! She even startled Whis, who was beside her.
Tears instantly welled up in her eyes! She desperately tried to pilot the aircraft to rush over and catch him, but the distance was too great, there was no time!
"Whis! Save him!"
Bulma shouted at the angel beside her.
"Ho ho ho~ One big meal!"
Whis's voice was filled with amusement. He tapped his staff lightly, and his figure vanished in an instant.
In the next second, he had already appeared beside the rapidly falling Whitley. After doing a little something, he easily grabbed the back of his collar with one hand.
Like carrying a small cat, he appeared beside Bulma's aircraft and gently placed him beside Bulma.
"Whitley! Whitley, wake up!"
Bulma threw herself at Whitley's side. Seeing his pale face and the blood at the corner of his mouth, her heart was about to break.
She fumbled all over him. "That's right! Senzu Beans! Senzu Beans!"
She remembered that Whitley was in the habit of putting DynoCaps in his battle suit!
After fumbling for a few moments, she finally found a capsule with a "Senzu Beans" label on the inside of his waist.
"Pop!" Bulma quickly pressed the button, and a few plump, emerald-green Senzu Beans appeared in her hand.
She carefully pried open Whitley's mouth and put the Senzu Beans inside.
The moment the Senzu Beans entered his mouth, a vast amount of life energy instantly flowed through Whitley's entire body.
His pale face regained its color at a visible rate, his injuries healed in an instant, and his disordered ki also quickly stabilized.
"Mmm..." Whitley's eyelids fluttered a few times, and he slowly opened his eyes. The first thing he saw was Bulma's tear-streaked and worried pretty face.
"Bulma? I'm fi—" Whitley was just about to comfort her when he suddenly felt a chill on his body. He looked down and—
"What the hell?! What... what is this?!"
He saw that his familiar black battle suit had disappeared at some point! In its place was a very familiar set of clothes—
A deep blue base, with complex purple markings and gold trim. The style... was strikingly similar to the God of Destruction attire that Beerus was wearing!
It was just that the details were slightly simplified, and the color was a little darker.
Whitley's hair instantly stood on end!
He shot his head up and glared at Beerus and Whis, who were slowly descending beside the aircraft.
"Who?! Who changed my clothes?! What are you trying to do?!"
Beerus crossed his arms and looked down at the bristling Whitley, his golden, slit pupils filled with a triumphant and unquestionable arrogance.
He quickly flicked Whitley on the forehead with his hand!
"Ow!" Whitley clutched his forehead and glared.
"You should be happy, kid!"
Beerus snorted, a "you're welcome" expression on his face.
"In all these thousands of years, I have never personally sought out an Apprentice God of Destruction! You, Whitley! Are the first! It is your honor!"
He pointed to the divine attire on Whitley. "This 'Apprentice God of Destruction' uniform is your symbol of identity! From now on, you are the Apprentice God of Destruction of our Universe 7!"
Whitley: "...???"
He was completely baffled. What Apprentice God of Destruction? Who agreed to this?!
"Aren't you afraid that Whitley will come after you for this, Lord Beerus?"
Whis asked with a smile, covering his mouth.
"Afraid of him?" Beerus sneered dismissively, his golden, slit pupils looking down on Whitley with the unique arrogance of a God of Destruction. "Do I, Beerus, need to avoid him?!"
He no longer looked at the indignant Whitley, but changed the subject and looked at Bulma. "I heard you say just now that you promised to treat Whis to a meal? When does it start?"
Bulma looked at Whitley, who had just been beaten unconscious and was now forcibly put into a "work uniform" and was fuming, then at the God of Destruction who was shamelessly begging for food. She sighed deeply.
I really don't understand how this God of Destruction cultivated such a shameless personality. You just beat my husband to a pulp!
But...
Bulma's gaze fell on the strange but somehow majestic and mysterious divine attire on Whitley, then at his angry but helpless expression. The little bit of heartache in her heart was suddenly replaced by a strange sense of pride and a "my-man-has-made-it" satisfaction.
Forget it...
She resignedly took out her phone and dialed the estate's number.
"Hello? It's me. Prepare a banquet immediately! Yes, use the best ingredients for everything! Have the entire team of chefs in place! Also..."
She paused, looked at Whitley, who was still glaring at Beerus, and couldn't help but smile.
"Just think of it as... a celebration for Whitley's, uh, 'promotion'!"
She comforted herself in her heart: The wife of an Apprentice God of Destruction? Although it sounds a bit strange, at least I'm the wife of a 'Kami-sama.' Not a bad deal!
The husband of the great Bulma is a god! If I tell my girlfriends that, how impressive would that be!
Although this god... looks like he really wants to beat his boss to a pulp.
Whitley watched as Bulma had already begun to arrange the banquet, then looked at Beerus's smug "you-lucked-out" expression, and Whis's "I'm-just-here-for-the-show" smile. In the end, he could only scratch his head in frustration.
He looked down and tugged at the uniform that symbolized his identity as the Apprentice God of Destruction of Universe 7 and sighed helplessly in his heart.
What the hell is this all about?!
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