On the arena.
BOOM!
Rolling waves of violet light roared across the ocean. With Gran and Hit at the center, eight destructive beams tore through the air toward them.
Hit's face turned deathly pale.
But the instant Gran unleashed Destruction Rule, Hit's heart seemed to stop for a beat.
"What is that?!"
"That looks like… Destruction Rule?!"
"My god… Lord Gran actually refined Destruction energy to the Rule level!"
"Hahaha! Now you're all dead!"
His fear vanished in an instant, replaced by exhilaration. He looked at the surrounding candidates as though they were already corpses.
The eight God of Destruction candidates encircling Gran felt as if they had seen a ghost.
"That's not normal Destruction energy…"
"Impossible…"
"There's no way a mere candidate could refine Destruction to the Rule level!"
"This is madness!"
But before their disbelief could settle—
The purple light in Gran's palm flared violently.
His Destruction Rule collided head-on with the eight streams of Destruction energy.
Bang!
Bang!
Bang!
One against eight.
Gran's Destruction Rule was like a red-hot iron brand pressed into snow.
Lambert and the others' Destruction energy began melting at terrifying speed.
Hit's eyes widened in shock.
This Destruction Rule was ridiculously overpowered!
"Not good!!!"
"We can't hold it!!"
"Retreat!!!"
Lambert and the others' expressions changed drastically. They turned and fled without hesitation.
HUMMMMM
The instant they scattered, the ocean beneath was devoured. Sea and seabed alike were erased by the deep violet radiance.
Gran rolled his neck slightly as he watched them flee.
"Then let the hunt begin."
"Hit. Stay close."
With that—
Gran shot forward toward Universe Two's God of Love, Rosa.
She was on Lord Beerus' kill list.
Gran had no reason to refuse.
Whoosh!
He became a streak of extreme light, instantly closing the distance.
Hit obediently followed.
But Gran's speed was so overwhelming that Hit could barely glimpse his "taillights."
What he didn't know—
Gran was already slowing down deliberately just so Hit could keep up.
"Damn it! Eight people attacked him—why is he targeting me specifically?!"
God of Love Rosa was a woman weighing over three hundred pounds. She wore the standard God of Destruction attire, the tight fabric compressing her bulk.
Fortunately, she had wings.
She could fly.
And her speed wasn't slow—
At least, not until a flash of light appeared before her.
BOOM!
A fist smashed into her face.
Her flesh split instantly. Under the impact of overwhelming force, her massive body blasted backward
Shattering mountain after mountain
Until she finally embedded into a distant range.
"Pffft!"
Blood erupted from her mouth, mixed with broken teeth.
She looked utterly miserable.
Footsteps approached.
Gran stood before her, expression devoid of emotion.
"Die."
He slowly raised his hand.
Rosa's soul trembled violently.
He was going to erase her with Destruction Rule.
"No!!!"
"Please don't!"
"I was arrogant before—I was wrong! I shouldn't have provoked you! Please spare me!"
Her voice was filled with terror.
Gran shook his head lightly.
"When I hadn't revealed my strength, you weren't speaking like this."
"If you chose to participate in this battle royale, you should have been prepared to die."
"Destruction."
No more words.
First-Level Destruction Rule condensed in his palm.
HUM—
When that universe-tier power manifested above the shattered mountains, countless fragments of stone disintegrated into starlike dust.
"No!!!"
"Are you just going to let him destroy me?!"
"If I die, you're next!"
"With one less ally, you'll only be defeated one by one!"
"Please—save me!!!"
Rosa's desperate screams echoed through the ruined mountain range.
She was begging the remaining seven candidates for help.
Gran remained indifferent.
If they returned to save her, even better.
That would save him the trouble of hunting them down individually.
Just as Rosa was about to be erased—
BOOM!
A massive energy sphere, a thousand meters in diameter, descended from the sky.
"Hm?"
Gran paused slightly.
So they actually came?
But if that enormous blast exploded, his clothes would definitely get dirty.
He sighed internally.
So instead, he redirected his Destruction upward.
"Go."
SIZZLE—
The moment First-Level Destruction Rule touched the gigantic energy sphere—
It dissolved instantly.
Gone.
The next second—
HUM!
Space trembled violently.
A fist the size of a sandbag shot toward the back of Gran's head.
But it was as if his skull had grown eyes,
He shifted slightly to the side.
The punch missed.
Then came a flurry of strikes—kicks and fists crashing down in rapid succession. Pure raw power shattered the ground beneath them.
Yet Gran moved like a nimble monkey.
Elegant.
Effortless.
Untouchable.
None of the attacks landed.
"Have you had enough?"
Gran casually raised his hand—
And caught a descending kick with one palm.
BOOM!
If that kick had landed outside this arena, it could have destroyed an entire universe.
Yet Gran's hand remained completely unharmed.
"I haven't even gone looking for you yet."
"And you're already rushing here to die."
He looked at his assailant.
Universe Three's Slime—Bellock.
Bellock was a slime lifeform by nature. He had no limbs; his arms and legs were manifested constructs.
Seeing his conjured left leg caught, he immediately dispersed it and retreated rapidly.
"S-So terrifying… that body instinct…"
Bellock stood not far away, cold sweat covering him.
Rosa stared in disbelief.
Just moments ago, she and Bellock had been arguing bitterly.
Yet now
He had come to save her.
"You… why did you save me?" she asked, enduring the agony in her face as she hurried to his side.
Bellock shot her a glance and snorted.
"You think I saved you willingly, you fat pig?"
"If you die, we lose one teammate. Eight versus one and we still might not win—let alone seven versus one."