"You have quite the nerve !"
The moment those five words were uttered, the atmosphere within the Grand Zen-Oh's palace instantly turned frigid, murderous, and suffocating. The air itself felt as though it were about to solidify.
A chilling sensation shot from the soles of Quitela's feet straight to the top of his head, and with a heavy thud, he collapsed onto the floor, his legs giving out. Fear seeped into every cell of his body; the God of Destruction for Universe 4 was trembling uncontrollably.
Cognic looked up at his father, the Grand Minister, and couldn't help but furrow his brow. Why is Father so angry? Could he have discovered Lord Quitela's plot to assassinate Universe 7's Destroyer Candidate?
The Gods of Destruction standing along both sides of the hall kept their heads bowed low. They were equally perplexed as to what Quitela had done, but seeing him in such a pathetic state, many couldn't help but wear expressions of smug amusement.
Beerus, still oblivious to the full details, simply found the "dead rat's" misery to be a beautiful sight. It was truly refreshing to behold. Yet, seemingly lacking any sense of self-preservation, he actually dared to steal a glance at the reactions of the Grand Minister and Zen-Oh while gloating over Quitela.
Whack!
Whis immediately brought his staff down on the mischievous cat's head.
"Ow!" Beerus hissed, sucking in a breath of cold air through his teeth. After that warning from Whis, he didn't dare look around any further.
Suddenly, Zen-Oh stood up from his throne.
Vroom!
A vast, overwhelming pressure swept through the entire palace!
Thud! Thud! ... Thud!
The Gods of Destruction who were still standing fell to their knees one after another. The amusement they felt moments ago vanished, replaced by faces as pale as ghosts. Beerus was no exception; this time, he truly didn't dare to peek.
The Angels standing beside their respective Gods didn't kneel, but they all bowed their heads slightly in respect. Every God and Angel present was consumed by confusion. What on earth is happening?
"Quitela, how audacious of you to try and instigate conflict between two universes!"
The Grand Minister spoke with an innate authority that required no shouting, yet his voice made the entire multiverse tremble.
Instigating conflict between two universes? Cognic sighed inwardly. He really was found out. That means the Destroyer Candidate from Universe 7 must be dead.
The other Gods and Angels whipped their heads toward the slumped Quitela. No wonder the Grand Minister and Lord Zen-Oh were so furious—had this guy lost his mind? At the same time, they were curious: which universe had Quitela tried to provoke?
Beerus suddenly had a sinking feeling. Knowing that rat's personality, there was no way the target wasn't his Universe 7.
"Quitela!" Zen-Oh spoke.
At this moment, Zen-Oh's voice lacked its usual childish innocence. It had become deep, somber, and heavy—as if the very "Rules of Reality" were chanting.
"Lord Zen-Oh, I was wrong! Please forgive me!" Quitela was shaking violently. He was drowning in regret, yet he remained confused. He had only sent someone to challenge a candidate; he hadn't personally stepped onto the battlefield. Why were the two Supreme Beings reacting so violently?
"Lord Zen-Oh, I'm sorry! Nooo!"
Quitela's pupils shrank to pinpricks as he saw Zen-Oh raise a hand toward him. For a moment, the hearts of every God and Angel skipped a beat. Is he actually going to erase a God of Destruction?
Hum—!
A celestial hymn seemed to echo around Zen-Oh. Without a shred of hesitation, he gave his small hand a light flick.
BOOM!
A flash of brilliant white light enveloped Quitela.
"AAAAAGH!!!"
Quitela's body and soul began to twist and distort. Blood-curdling screams of agony tore from his throat.
Cognic closed his eyes. I warned you, Lord Quitela... have a safe journey to the afterlife.
However, after a few moments, the screaming continued. Quitela hadn't disappeared. Cognic snapped his eyes open. His life... was spared?
Beerus clicked his tongue in disappointment. That damn rat is lucky. He actually survived an attack from Zen-Oh.
The other Gods looked somewhat let down as well, but upon reflection, it made sense. Quitela was the only God of Destruction for Universe 4; they didn't even have a candidate. If he were erased, Universe 4 would fall into total paralysis.
"This was a punishment. Next time, it will be erasure," Zen-Oh said, glancing at Quitela with eyes that looked down upon all creation. He lowered his hand, sat back on his throne, and looked at the Grand Minister.
The Grand Minister nodded. "Following the previous decree, a new order is hereby issued: From this moment forward, no God of Destruction is permitted to interfere in mortal affairs in any capacity!"
The supreme mandate was issued.
"Understood!" the Gods responded in unison, their voices trembling as they kept their heads lowered.
"Dismissed!"
The Gods and Angels began to file out of the palace. They left with heavy hearts, shaken by how abruptly the meeting and Quitela's punishment had occurred. As for Quitela, the punishment had been severe; his soul and physical form were heavily damaged, and his power had plummeted from the Seventh Stage of the Divine Realm down to the Sixth. It would take hundreds of millions of years to recover.
Cognic picked him up by the scruff of the neck and dragged him away like a dead dog.
"Whis, let's go! That rat promised to arm-wrestle me after the meeting!" Beerus followed behind with a wicked smirk.
Whis's face went flat. "He's in that condition and you want to arm-wrestle? If you want to mock him, just say so." Whis paused, then added, "Actually, let's go. I have a feeling the universe he targeted was ours. Lord Beerus, you should definitely give him a hard time later."
Whis began leading Beerus toward the exit to catch up with Quitela.
Suddenly!
"Beerus!" The Grand Minister's voice echoed through the hall once more.
The other Gods, seeing that they weren't the ones being called, scrambled to leave as fast as their legs could carry them, terrified they might be next. The fastest among them was, surprisingly, Champa.
"That damn fat pig!" Beerus stared at Champa's retreating back, dumbfounded. Is this what he calls a brother?
In the palace corridor, Beerus turned his head, whispering nervously, "Whis, why is your father calling me?"
Whis shrugged. "How should I know?"
What else could he do? It was the Grand Minister. Beerus had no choice but to head back inside.
Lord Zen-Oh was back on his throne playing a game. The Grand Minister stood beside him, staring at Beerus with a cold, piercing gaze.
Beerus jumped, trembling. "Grand Minister... is there something you need?" I haven't done anything wrong in years! Why is he looking at me like that?
"Beerus, do you know your mistake?" the Grand Minister asked, his tone rising slightly.
Beerus's legs gave out, and he plopped onto the floor, his face a mask of pure terror. Seeing this, the corner of the Grand Minister's mouth twitched upward slightly. That's for leading my Whis astray.
Whis noticed his father's subtle expression and sighed. He realized his father was just trying to scare his God of Destruction.
"Father, Lord Beerus hasn't done anything. If there's something on your mind, please just say it so we can head home," Whis said calmly.
Beerus snapped out of his trance. Wait, Whis is right. I didn't do anything! Why am I scared? He scrambled back to his feet.
"You two..." The Grand Minister's lip curled. They really are two peas in a pod, aren't they? "I am warning you both—especially you, Beerus. You've taken on a disciple. If you continue to be this lazy and fail to lead by example, Lord Zen-Oh and I will be very unhappy."
At that moment, Zen-Oh put down his "game controller" and added in his high-pitched voice, "I will be very unhappy!"
Beerus shuddered violently. He bent forward in a perfect ninety-degree bow. "Yes, sir!"
"Hmph. Now get out of here," the Grand Minister muttered.
Beerus didn't wait for a second invitation. His legs turned into a blur like a motorized engine as he grabbed Whis and bolted out of the palace.
Silence returned to the hall. After a moment, the Grand Minister spoke. "Lord Zen-Oh, Quitela was indeed being quite presumptuous."
"It doesn't matter," Zen-Oh replied. "If that little guy can't even handle that much, there's no point in training him anyway."
"You are correct, Lord Zen-Oh. This was a good opportunity to pressure the other Gods. We can't have them interfering before the little guy has truly grown."
"Hmph. If they dare interfere again after this warning, I'll just erase them!"
Their voices echoed through the vast palace before slowly fading into silence.
Outside the palace, Beerus emerged looking like a wreck. He was anxious to get back to his universe to see if Quitela's schemes had caused any real damage.
"Beerus! What did the Grand Minister want with you?" A familiar voice called out from near the entrance. It was Champa, the one who had run away first!
Champa and Vados stood together—a cat as round as a ball and a tall, elegant Angel. The contrast was as jarring as ever. Seeing Vados still there, Whis wasn't surprised and gave his sister a nod.
Vados, who had lost to Whis eight years prior, turned her head away, refusing to look at her "annoying" younger brother. Whis smiled; his sister really knew how to hold a grudge.
"I thought you ran away?" Beerus said. A small warmth spread through his chest seeing that Champa had actually waited. I guess the fat pig didn't abandon me after all.
"I'm asking you a question! What did he want?" Champa stepped forward, his eyes darting around. There was no way he would admit he stayed behind out of concern.
"Nothing much. He just told me to train Gran well."
"Really?"
"If you don't believe me, ask Whis!"
"Whis, is 'Skinny' telling the tr—"
Before Champa could finish, Beerus slammed a fist onto the fat cat's head. "I told you to ask, and you actually asked? You trust me that little?"
"Shut up! Just come over to my place. We need to discuss the implications of this meeting properly."
Without waiting for Champa to react, Beerus had Whis speed them toward Universe 7. He was in a hurry to see if anything was missing from his home.
Left behind, Vados covered her mouth and giggled. "I didn't realize Lord Champa cared so much for Lord Beerus. Your brotherly bond is truly touching!"
Having his true feelings exposed was as embarrassing as being caught naked in public. Champa snapped, "Who cares about him?! Hurry up and let's go!"
"As you wish." The two of them also sped off toward Universe 7.
Universe 7, Land of the Kai.
Under a large tree, Shin and the Old Kai were staring at a crystal ball. The image showed Gran locked in combat with Oma.
"Get him, Gran! Give him a real thrashing!"
"Yes! Just like that!"
"Hahaha! Gran is incredible!"
The two Kais, young and old, jumped for joy as they saw Gran land the finishing blow on Oma.
"Hmph! What on earth is Beerus doing? How can he let such a powerful enemy run loose and not show up to deal with it himself?" Once the Old Kai calmed down, he immediately began cursing Beerus. "If not for Gran, our universe would be in ruins again!"
Shin stood to the side, wiping cold sweat from his forehead. Is this really how a Supreme Kai should talk?
"What? You don't think that 'Skinny' deserves a scolding?" Old Kai looked over.
"No!" Shin shook his head, then quickly nodded. "He deserves it! Totally deserves it!" Lord Beerus, please don't hit me... I'm being coerced!
Just then, a figure appeared under the tree with a sharp whoosh. The sudden movement scared the two Kais so much they practically leaped into each other's arms.
Old Kai squeezed his eyes shut and started apologizing frantically. "Lord Beerus! I didn't mean to insult you! It was this youngster who egged me on!"
Shin, also keeping his eyes shut, trembled. Ancestral Lord... do you even hear what you're saying?
"Lord Kai, it's me."
The newcomer was Gran. Looking at the two huddled Supreme Kais and hearing their words, he knew exactly what had been happening. They were badmouthing Beerus.
"Oh, it's just you, kid?" Old Kai snapped his eyes open. Seeing it was Gran, he shoved Shin away and composed himself, saying to Shin with a straight face: "Anyway... you're young. You can handle a beating from Lord Beerus. It'll be fine."
Shin was speechless. You do the cursing, I get the beating. This ancestor is truly something else.
"Ahem... anyway, Gran, I saw everything you did." Old Kai cleared his throat. "Very well done. You truly are the pride of Universe 7's Destroyer Candidates!"
Gran dismissed the praise. "You flatter me, Lord Kai. He was just a piece of trash."
"No!" Old Kai put his hands behind his back, his expression turning serious. "That man was not weak at all!"
"Oh?"
"A fighter at the Third Stage of the Divine Realm? There's no way he was weak. In our Universe 7, he would have been the strongest mortal alive!" Old Kai sighed.
It was a strange irony. Their God of Destruction was the strongest, and their Angel was the most gifted. Even their Supreme Kais were an anomaly; including himself, Universe 7 currently had six Supreme Kais. Then there was the mysterious Angel on Earth and the trainee Merus.
By all accounts, Universe 7 should be overwhelmingly powerful. And yet, whenever a random intruder showed up, they could hardly find anyone within the universe to match them. It was a tragedy. Old Kai sat back down and began flipping through his "adult" magazine.
"Don't worry, Lord Kai. Just wait a little longer; Universe 7's rise is coming soon," Gran comforted him, sensing his thoughts.
"I know. I'm just reflecting." Old Kai flipped a few pages, then looked up. "It's a good thing you were there. Otherwise, we'd be in deep trouble." He had watched the battle through the crystal ball; Gran's martial arts level was terrifying. Even if his raw power didn't vastly exceed his opponent's, his divine state and martial insight allowed him to win with ease.
"By the way, do you know where that fighter came from?" Old Kai asked. Universe 7 had no such expert, so he must have been from elsewhere.
"Look at this, Lord Kai." Gran tossed something onto the grass.
Hum—!
A purple cube appeared.
"This... this is a Transport Cube!" Old Kai scrambled to his feet again.
"What's a Transport Cube?" Shin asked, leaning in to touch it.
"It's the fastest mode of transportation in the multiverse. Not even an Angel can outrun it!" Old Kai examined the device. "And only Angels are supposed to have these!"
It confirmed his suspicion. That dark-skinned fighter was from another universe and was definitely connected to a God of Destruction.
"Lord Kai, that man came from Universe 4." Gran lowered his voice as he recounted the details of his clash with Oma.
As Gran's voice echoed through the realm, Old Kai's pupils contracted. "That damn rat?" He flew into a rage. If there was one God of Destruction who held the deepest grudge against Beerus, it was Quitela of Universe 4. To think he was insane enough to send an assassin to Universe 7!
Unaware of the recent growth in Universe 7's mortal level, Old Kai assumed Quitela was simply trying to sabotage their progress. "How does he have the nerve?" Old Kai ground his teeth. "Where is Beerus? Does he know about this?"
Gran knew about Beerus's trips to Earth—after all, the shockwaves from their daily sparring sessions were hard to miss. "Don't you know, Lord Kai?" Gran explained. "Lord Zen-Oh called an emergency meeting. All the Gods are currently at the palace."
The Land of the Kai fell into a deathly silence.
"What?!" Old Kai shouted.
Shin's eyes widened. "Did Lord Zen-Oh start another game of hide-and-seek?" Over the last eight years, Shin had learned many of the multiverse's secrets.
"I'm not sure. We won't know until Lord Beerus returns," Gran said, shaking his head.
"Dammit!" Old Kai paced around, agitated. "What is happening? That rat actually waited until our God and Angel were away to launch a sneak attack! I'm going to the palace to file a formal complaint!"
Old Kai grabbed Shin's arm, ready to leave. Just then, two streaks of rainbow light descended from the sky.
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