In the universe, stars glittered in the far distance. Here, silence was eternal.
But today that deathly stillness was torn open by a sudden, brilliant streak of light.
As it dispersed, two figures appeared in the void: Vitli, in a black battle suit, and Whis, the angel of Universe Seven.
Vitli wasn't wearing his apprentice-Destroyer uniform. He still thought it looked awful.
Luckily, Whis had told him it wasn't mandatory—Destroyers wore their outfits mostly for easy recognition to avoid pointless interruptions.
Vitli was delighted to skip it. As for interruptions… he'd just solve them with a wave of his hand.
The location they'd arrived at was extraordinary.
Before them loomed a black hole so vast it could make ordinary beings tremble. Its gravity bent space and light into a spiraling abyss that devoured everything.
Yet on an orbit dangerously close to this cosmic graveyard, a dull gray planet still persisted stubbornly.
Vitli stared at the contradictory, majestic spectacle and couldn't help sighing.
"The universe really is strange. A planet can exist near a black hole like this—and even evolve life… The tenacity of life is unbelievable."
Whis smiled elegantly.
"This is nothing, Vitli-san. Beerus-sama and I once visited a planet orbiting a neutron star. The life there was far stranger—entirely crystalline, living by absorbing radiation. Your cosmic horizons are still quite narrow. You need more experience~"
Vitli chuckled, letting the sentiment pass.
Today wasn't for philosophizing.
"Alright. I'll see weirder stuff later. Let's work, Whis."
Whis nodded and tapped his staff lightly.
A gentle light screen unfolded before them, displaying detailed data for the planet ahead.
"Rogori Star."
Whis read aloud.
"Due to its position within intense gravitational interference from the black hole nearby, its extreme environment has produced lifeforms that remain extremely primitive and chaotic. They are broadly aggressive and destructive. Planet evaluation: none. Development potential: nearly zero. Final judgment: no preservation value. Recommended action: 'Destruction.'"
He dismissed the screen and looked to Vitli with a smile, his tone turning more formal.
"Alright, Vitli-san. Your turn. Remember to cleanse it thoroughly. Destruction energy must penetrate the core to ensure total annihilation. Don't imitate Beerus-sama—sometimes he destroys only half out of laziness or good mood, leaving a mess behind."
"Got it." Vitli raised his right hand toward the gray world.
Dark-violet Destroyer power condensed in his palm. The destructive pulse shook the surrounding space faintly.
For him now, wiping out a planet like this required almost no effort—just a casual flick.
There was no grand explosion. No flying debris.
A deep violet flash crossed the void—
And a planet with more than ten times Earth's mass began to collapse and vanish instantly. In mere seconds it dissolved into primal dust, then was swallowed completely by the black hole's pull, as if it had never existed.
Vitli lowered his hand, then glanced at the still-feeding black hole.
He rubbed his chin.
"Hey, Whis… this black hole looks like a nuisance too. Should we clean it up while we're at it?"
Whis, dragged back from imagining tonight's dinner, coughed lightly to cover his distraction.
He shook his head with calm, knowing amusement.
"No need, Vitli-san. Everything exists for a reason. This black hole has already merged with several smaller ones—its mass is enormous now. Leave it. In the distant future, it will become a seed for a new star system. Its gravity will gather matter again… Destruction and creation are sometimes separated by only a thin line."
"Fine. You're the expert." Vitli shrugged.
"Next target. We should speed up. If we're late getting back, your sister who refuses to leave will eat all the dinner. You don't want to come home after a hard day and survive on a single senzu bean, right, Whis~?"
At the mental image of Vados smiling serenely while wiping out the food at impossible speed, Whis' expression twitched.
He instantly adopted a stern, professional look and tapped his staff.
"Quite right, Vitli-san! Efficiency is the virtue of an exemplary angel! Time to increase the pace!"
Seeing Whis actually look urgent was so rare that Vitli burst into a grin, slinging an arm over his shoulder.
"Alright. Let's go."
They still had more than ten worthless planets to erase today. No time to dawdle.
The process that followed was simple: Whis precisely located, Vitli destroyed.
One after another, planets with no value—due to extreme environments, civilizations gone irreparably astray, or cosmic disasters—silently turned into the universe's most basic particles under Vitli's violet light.
Finally, after a lava-and-poison hellworld was erased, Whis checked the list on his staff.
"Okay, Vitli-san. Last stop for today."
A shimmering streak of light. They reappeared near a binary star system.
It was far larger and younger than the solar system. A prime, yellow star and a massive, very young blue star danced around each other in unstable orbit.
Their eyes locked on the vast blue giant. Its youthful brilliance was intense, but there was an unmistakable instability in its light—like a restless heartbeat.
Whis projected another light screen.
"This is a massive blue giant named Halisfi," he explained. "Together with that orange star, it forms an unstable binary. They approach each other roughly once every eighty years, causing severe gravitational disturbances. More importantly, Halisfi's core fuel is nearly exhausted. Violent internal changes have already begun. If left alone, calculations show a greater than ninety-percent probability it will collapse into a new black hole within the next five hundred years. Given its mass, that black hole would be powerful enough to devour the entire binary system, causing catastrophic damage to starfields tens of light-years away."
He paused, then looked at Vitli with a hint of a test in his voice.
"There are two solutions. One: use Destruction energy to annihilate it completely. But that requires pinpoint control and enough output to collapse its core instantly. If you fail and trigger an uncontrolled energetic chain reaction, the consequences could be worse than natural collapse."
Whis smiled, then offered the second option with playful tone.
"Two: if you don't think you can destroy it in one clean stroke, you can use massive force to push it off course and exile it into an empty 'dark zone' of space, letting it evolve there. That's the simplest method. This is your final lesson. Good luck, Vitli-san."
Vitli stared up at the colossal blue star, its core radiating turbulent, explosive power. His head started to hurt.
From the Destroyer training manual he'd crammed, he knew this kind of target was the worst.
Even a slight mistake could trigger a chain reaction—a disaster spanning light-years.
The safest method would be to have a Supreme Kai stabilize space, or to have Whis step in as backup.
He glanced at Whis, who looked perfectly content to spectate.
As for the universe's young Supreme Kai…
Vitli seriously doubted the kid had the experience to handle a situation like this.
For a moment, Vitli fell silent in thought.
Seeing his expression, Whis teased,
"Shall I contact Bulma-san to cheer for you, Vitli-san?"
Their eyes narrowed. Vitli waved him off irritably.
Instead of obsessing on the star, he pointed at the other planets in the system and the faint lights of nearby starfields.
"What about those planets? Any civilizations nearby worth noting?"
He decided to gather more intel and maybe find a better way.
Whis shrugged and obligingly called up regional data.
"The planets in this dual-star system are poor environments—no signs of intelligent life. But if you stabilize this dying blue giant, the yellow star will remain steady. Its habitable zone planets have a high probability of evolving life in the future."
"As for neighboring systems within ten light-years…"
Whis scanned the display.
"Mm, two are worth mentioning. One contains a planet called Yardrat. Their tech isn't particularly advanced, but they've developed some peculiar esoteric techniques that are fairly well-known in the cosmos. Some of them are quite interesting."
"The other one…"
Whis' voice stopped. He looked almost surprised.
He checked the staff's feedback carefully, then spoke with a faintly amused tone.
"In that system, there's a life-bearing world called Namek. How intriguing. According to the records, its civilization can create wish-granting orbs. That's rare indeed."
"What the hell?!" Vitli nearly jumped, incredulous. "What did you just say? Namek?! And Dragon Balls?!"
He never would have expected to hear that familiar name here, at this moment, in this way.
"Let's go to Namek first," he said sharply. "Maybe… I've got an idea."
At the same time, light-years away on Namek…
Across the vast land of lakes and round houses, within a towering ancient structure atop the planet's highest point, the great Elder slept.
His immense body rose and fell steadily, breath long and calm.
Then he jolted awake, trembling. Confusion flickered across his wrinkled green face—then turned to deep relief.
"They're here… Fate's course has shifted greatly… Good… good that it's benevolent… to sense it this early…"
He shifted his huge body, sitting a little straighter, and called in a heavy voice toward the doorway:
"Nail. Come in."
Soon a young Namekian warrior with a sturdy build and steady eyes hurried inside.
He bowed respectfully.
"Great Elder, what are your orders?"
The Elder raised his head as though staring through the roof into the boundless stars.
After a short silence, he spoke slowly but firmly.
"Nail, my child. Contact every clan elder at once. By my order, have them gather the Dragon Balls they keep. Bring all seven to the plain. You will deliver them."
Nail's face showed a flicker of confusion.
"Great Elder, this is…?"
"Do not ask. Do as I say. Soon, two… honored guests will descend upon Namek. If they wish to use the Dragon Balls, you will summon Porunga for them. Do everything you can to fulfill their desire."
Nail's heart shook. Unimaginable guests? Using the Dragon Balls?
But his trust in the Elder was absolute. He suppressed his questions and bowed again.
"Yes! By your will, Great Elder! I will go at once!"
He turned and left swiftly.
As Nail hurried away to carry out the command, Whis—about to take Vitli toward Namek—let out a soft "Oh?"
A rare hint of surprise crossed his serene face, then became a knowing, amused smile.
"How interesting… Such a rare talent. Across such distance, to vaguely sense an angel and a Destroyer's movement… The interpretation is rough, but that spiritual perception is top-tier in this universe."
Vitli, ready to urge him to hurry, paused and asked curiously:
"Huh? What's going on? Someone sensed us?"
Whis only shook his head, smile deep and mysterious.
"Don't rush, Vitli-san. A little mystery makes things more fun. You'll find out soon enough."
Light wrapped them once more, and in the next instant they arrived in a new starfield.
A vast, beautiful green world hung in space like a jade jewel.
Oceans sprawled over its surface, orange landmasses dotted the seas, and the thick atmosphere looked tranquil and still.
Namek.
Seeing the planet with his own eyes, Vitli's feelings turned complicated.
He remembered the Dragon Ball anime from his past life and chuckled under his breath.
"Heh… Namek. Wonder if the legendary Elder can unlock my potential too?"
The thought made him laugh and shake his head.
Even setting aside his godhood and the fact that his life-tier and energy nature now eclipsed normal beings—
Even if he were still mortal, his current base combat power was already so deep it was unfathomable. Whatever potential the Elder could draw out would be a drop in the ocean at best.
Vitli was confident that even against Perfect Cell, his base form would still be crushing.
Meanwhile, on a wide plain of Namek…
Nail had moved with maximum speed. By the Elder's authority and his own efficiency, he gathered all seven enormous Dragon Balls.
They were lined up neatly on the ground, each with different stars gleaming inside.
Nail stood beside them like a statue, posture straight, eyes fixed on the blue sky, heart full of alertness and doubt.
The Elder's order—and that gaze into the heavens—made him suspect the "guests" were likely from beyond the stars.
And that terrified him.
Were they… enemies beyond resistance?
Then a calm voice spoke behind him with no warning at all.
"Not bad. The Dragon Balls are already collected? And arranged so neatly… Were you waiting for us?"
Nail's eyes widened in shock.
With his strength, he hadn't sensed anyone approaching. He hadn't felt any nearby presence at all.
Reflex took over. He spun, muscles tensed, aura flaring to the limit as he assumed a combat stance.
Two figures stood not far away.
The one in front was a young black-haired man in a simple black battle suit, handsome and sharp-eyed, studying Nail and the Dragon Balls with curiosity and a faintly playful look.
Behind him stood a tall, slender blue-green-skinned man holding a staff. His gentle smile gave off a depth beyond comprehension.
They were Vitli, apprentice Destroyer of Universe Seven, and Whis.
Vitli grinned at Nail's panic.
"Relax. I'm not a bad guy."
That grin somehow made Nail more on edge.
Cold sweat slid down Nail's brow. Under this pressure, he actually set his feet and prepared to attack.
Whis, enjoying himself, immediately stirred the pot.
"Vitli-san, it looks like this Namekian gentleman wants to spar with you. Aren't you going to respond out of respect~?"
Vitli shot Whis a look that said shut up already, and thought, Can't you see how nervous he is?!