In the realm of the Gods of Destruction, the eternal light poured down softly, as if laying a sacred sheen over this land where gods dwelled.
Vitelli stood outside the house and, without thinking, lifted a hand to rub his lower back.
Recalling last night's "revenge"—sparked by Bulma's faint little grievance but ending in something far more intense—he couldn't help but curve his lips into a helpless, indulgent smile.
These days, in order to get familiar with a God of Destruction's duties as quickly as possible, he'd been traveling all over the universe with Whis every single day.
They continuously cleared out celestial bodies and planets deemed worthless or harmful.
Sometimes they even had to stay on strange, harsh worlds for several days to conduct detailed evaluations.
Back and forth like that… it really had left Bulma feeling neglected.
Which was why, the moment he returned yesterday, Bulma had fixed him with those blue eyes—hurt at first glance, but far more sly than sad.
She'd half-dragged, half-pulled him straight into the bedroom…
After several hours of "intense communication," even he—an absurdly sturdy Saiyan—felt a little worn out and needed a breather.
But Bulma herself seemed like she was charged up. She popped right back up, dove into her lab, and kept tinkering with her "Logistics and Breeding Plan for the God of Destruction Realm."
That level of energy left Vitelli both amused and genuinely impressed.
"Ah~ good morning, Vitelli-san."
Whis appeared as silently as ever, wearing that gentle smile that never seemed to change, and greeted him.
Vitelli glanced behind Whis. Seeing only him, he asked in confusion, "Whis, where's your sister? Still sleeping? Wait—angels sleep too?"
He'd always been curious about that.
Whis lightly shook his head and explained, "No, Vitelli-san. Angels don't need sleep the way mortals do to recover energy. We usually regulate ourselves through deep meditation. It's far more effective than sleep."
"As for Sister Vados…"
He paused, eyes flicking toward Beerus's palace, and smiled. "She's returned to Universe Six. Lord Champa apparently finished a number of matters and has been causing quite a fuss about coming to see Lord Beerus. Sister went back to properly… um, properly persuade him."
Vitelli shot him a suspicious look and nailed him with a perfect jab. "You were definitely about to say 'discipline,' weren't you? You little black-hearted angels are finally showing your true colors!"
Whis's elegant smile twitched ever so slightly, his gaze drifting away, but his voice remained polite and composed.
"Nothing like that at all. Clearly your ears are malfunctioning. So, what's the plan today? Finish that tiny little bit of remaining work, or keep training?"
Vitelli smacked his lips and looked at Whis in disbelief.
Work? Work my ass.
He'd been working nonstop for days. If he finished everything, what would Beerus be for?
Better to keep training.
Training couldn't stop—especially after sparring with Whis recently, when he'd gained new insight into the realm of Ultra Instinct.
"Forget work. I'll do it when Beerus retires. We're training."
A faint silver glimmer flashed in Vitelli's eyes as his battle spirit surged.
"Come on, Whis! Sparring!"
Whis chuckled softly, standing in place, casually twirling his staff. "As you wish. Let's begin, Vitelli-san~~"
Vitelli didn't rush in recklessly like before.
He knew how unfathomably deep Whis's strength was. Charging with brute force and speed wouldn't win—he probably couldn't even touch Whis's clothes.
He took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and gathered his mind, expelling all stray thoughts.
The powerful energy inside him began to circulate naturally and smoothly. A silver-white aura, like flowing mercury, drifted across his skin.
Then he opened his eyes.
His pupils and hair turned brilliant silver in an instant, and an empty yet overwhelming aura blossomed around him.
"I'm coming!"
Before the words even landed, his body vanished like a ghost.
It wasn't just speed—it was as if he'd merged with the air itself.
In the next heartbeat, he appeared in front of Whis without warning, driving a seemingly casual but lightning-fast straight punch at Whis's face.
Whis still wore that easy smile. He simply tilted his body a hair to the side, dodging by a margin that was almost insulting.
His movement was so graceful it looked less like combat and more like dance.
Vitelli didn't pause. His assault rolled out like a tide—continuous, unpredictable, and without any deliberate pattern, guided entirely by instinct.
Whis kept both hands behind his back, evading every strike with only tiny shifts of posture and footwork.
Within that narrow space, he slipped through Vitelli's storm of blows as if strolling in a garden.
Their speed rose higher and higher until they became two blurred streaks of light.
On the broad lawn, they zipped and clashed at high speed—fists and feet meeting staff, then separating just as quickly.
To any unlucky observer, this battle would be impossible to follow. Even their ki couldn't be sensed—
Only the occasional crack of impact in the air proved that a fight beyond mortal imagination was raging.
"Not bad. Not bad."
Whis's voice remained calm, carrying a quiet note of approval.
"You've managed, in such a short time, to use Ultra Instinct's initial form with remarkable freedom. Your reflexes for evasion and defense are already excellent—completely fused with instinct."
While dodging effortlessly, he still had time to tap Vitelli's openings with his staff, forcing constant adjustments.
"Ah~ Vitelli-san, when you punch, be more natural. Your subconscious still leaves traces of 'I should strike this way' or 'I should aim there.' Relax. Trust your body more."
Vitelli didn't answer. All his focus drowned inside that seamless state.
His body felt like it had its own will, always moving with the smallest, most efficient shifts to slip away from Whis's casual-yet-lethal taps.
When an attack couldn't be fully avoided, his body blocked or tensed on its own, minimizing harm.
"Your evasion and defense are getting cleaner and cleaner. The only thing left is that last sliver of 'naturalness' in your proactive offense."
Whis teased lightly. "If you can patch this final flaw, perfect Ultra Instinct, and climb toward its complete realm…"
He drew out the words, smiling. "Then maybe you could formally challenge Lord Beerus someday? Of course, with your current power level, even perfect Ultra Instinct still wouldn't be enough to beat him. Hohoho~"
They continued their high-speed sparring as time slipped by.
Vitelli could clearly feel how, under this brutal pressure, his understanding and control of Ultra Instinct deepened at a visible rate.
Not just the mysterious dodge-reflex, but also his fundamental strength, speed, and ki were being hammered and elevated.
With a soft click, the door to the house opened.
Bulma poked her head out. The crackling sounds on the lawn didn't faze her anymore.
Hands cupped around her mouth like a megaphone, she shouted at the seemingly empty grass:
"Hey! You two! How long are you going to keep fighting? It's luuunch tiiime!"
Her voice was like a switch.
The tangled auras split instantly.
Whis hopped lightly, then with a slow-looking but inescapable motion, tapped Vitelli's blocking arm with the staff, sending him sliding back several meters on a clever burst of force.
He immediately stopped and put on a solemn expression.
"Vitelli-san, training is important, but Bulma-san's lunch is more important! Please excuse me!"
He turned on his heel without hesitation and jogged cheerfully toward Bulma, praising her all the way.
"Thank you for your hard work, Bulma-san. What delicious dishes did you make today?"
Vitelli sucked in a breath, rubbing his numb arm, and yelled after Whis's "food over friends" retreat.
"Hey! You bastard! So all those 'even fights' before were just you humoring me, weren't they?! I couldn't dodge that at all!"
Whis looked back, wearing a perfectly innocent smile.
"No, no, Vitelli-san, you misunderstand. You're just too strong and improving too quickly. That move was an emergency burst of brilliance. Normally I can't do that. I'm completely helpless against you~"
"…You think I buy that? Go sell that line to Beerus."
"Sell me what?"
A sleepy, irritated voice drifted in behind them.
Beerus had woken up at some point, standing in the distance wearing his ragged pajamas, clearly drawn by the aroma and the noise.
"Ah~ how rare, Lord Beerus!"
Whis instantly switched to mock surprise.
"You've slept less than a month this time. Why are you up? Nightmare?"
Beerus yawned huge and ignored the teasing.
Vitelli looked at the outfit and laughed.
"Beerus, can't you get a new set of pajamas? How long have you worn that trash? You're a god—have some dignity."
Beerus looked down with a snort.
A flash of light, and the ragged pajamas became his God of Destruction robes.
He sniffed hard, eyes lighting up.
"I smell it! Grilled fish!"
Without sparing them a glance, he strode toward the dining hall.
Vitelli and Whis exchanged a look, shrugged, and followed.
If you weren't fast at Beerus's table, you'd actually go hungry.
Inside the dining hall, Bulma had already directed robots to set a feast across the table.
Seeing Beerus join, she looked surprised for a moment, then ordered more food, because his appetite rivaled Vitelli's and Goku's.
The atmosphere immediately turned "lively."
Chopsticks and forks flew as they ate like a storm.
Vitelli fought to snatch a juicy grilled fish from Beerus's "demonic claws," then asked Bulma, "By the way, how's the route and ship prep you mentioned?"
Bulma dabbed his mouth, flashed an OK sign, and piled more food on his plate.
"Relax! It's going great. I already discussed everything with Dad. Mom's back on Earth buying top-grade ranches and seeds. Dad's building the big cargo ships. I'll need to go back soon to lock down key parameters and equipment."
Then she remembered something.
"Oh right. The ship you brought back from that… what was it, Sofu Planet? Dad checked it and cracked its navigation system. The star map saved inside is incredibly complete and detailed! Didn't you say you need a star map to use Instant Transmission? Perfect timing—when I go back, I'll bring a backup of the data to you."
Vitelli's eyes lit up.
"Thanks, Bulma! With accurate coordinates, Instant Transmission will be way easier."
He thought a moment. "Tell me once you set a date. I'll Instant Transmission with you to Earth. You know Earth's coordinates, right?"
Bulma beamed, leaned in, and kissed his cheek.
"Thanks, hubby! Having you as my driver is the best!"
The feast ended in record time.
Beerus leaned back, burping, lazily picking his teeth with a toothpick.
Then he frowned, poking his slightly rounder belly.
"If I keep eating like this, am I going to get fat? No, no… Whis, plan some work. I need to move around."
Whis covered his mouth and laughed his signature "hohoho," voice dripping with mischief.
"Lord Beerus wants to work voluntarily? The sun must be rising in the west. How rare~"
He continued with a hint of pride. "Though… there isn't really any work left. Only a tiny bit."
Beerus glared, irritated.
"Bullshit! Last time before I slept, you said there was a huge backlog. How is there suddenly nothing? Wait—don't tell me…"
His face went pale as a horrifying possibility hit him. He shot upright, eyes bulging.
"Did the Grand Zeno send someone to clear everything for me? Is he angry that I'm not working hard enough? Is he… is he going to erase me and appoint someone else?!"
He knew Vitelli's learning speed was terrifying—he'd already touched Ultra Instinct.
Was the top really replacing him?
Whis finally stopped teasing and explained calmly.
"Lord Beerus, you're overthinking. While you were asleep, Vitelli-san and I handled the backlog very efficiently."
"What's left now are minor cases on the far edge of the universe—low impact, and safe to observe longer. The central star regions are already cleared."
Beerus let out a huge breath.
"Phew… so you just finished the work. Scared me—"
Then he froze, voice shooting up as he whirled on Vitelli.
"What?! You helped clear things?! Wait—your Destruction power is already that refined?!"
Vitelli set down his tea as calmly as if he were discussing the weather.
"Yeah. I've grasped the core of Destruction. Not perfectly yet, but more than enough for cleanup. Full mastery… isn't far."
Beerus's expression went through a whole opera of shock, bitterness, and sour disbelief.
Back then, how much did he suffer to master Destruction?
Hundreds of years!
And this brat had trained… not even a year?
"No way. This can't continue…"
Beerus muttered, a wave of crisis swelling in him.
"If I stay lazy, the kid might actually surpass me. Where would my face be then?"
His eyes darted, then he clutched his stomach, putting on a pained look.
"Ahem… since there's nothing urgent for me right now, I'll go rest. Ate too fast, not digesting. Vitelli, you're young—long road ahead. Don't get arrogant. Keep training. I'll definitely pass the God of Destruction seat to you someday!"
—But not now, he added silently.
Before anyone replied, he vanished in a blur and bolted for his palace.
He had to dig out those old training aids and start grinding again.
Vitelli watched Beerus flee and asked Whis blankly, "He eats, sleeps, wakes up to binge, and repeats. Doesn't he get fat? Do Gods of Destruction just not have metabolism issues?"
Whis smile-answered serenely, fully aware of Beerus's tiny panic.
"Don't worry, Vitelli-san. Lord Beerus… has his measure."
After lunch, Vitelli took a short nap with Bulma.
When he woke, he sought Whis again and returned to Ultra Instinct training.
He could feel it—the perfect realm was only a paper-thin barrier away.
Each spar with Whis made that paper thinner.
"If I keep training steadily, I'll naturally master Ultra Instinct completely!"
"Then I'll raise my baseline power, and I'll have the strength to talk to Beerus head-on."
Vitelli was full of confidence.
That evening, over calm dinner, he and Whis discussed their next plans.
"Whis, tomorrow I want to go to the Sacred World of the Kais."
"Oh? For what you promised Shin-sama before?" Whis said, understanding at once.
Vitelli nodded.
"I promised to deal with Majin Buu. I'm not breaking my word. And… I can also free the Old Kai sealed inside the Z-Sword."
He stroked his chin, intrigued.
"I heard the Old Kai has a potential-unlocking technique? I want to see if he can unlock mine. Maybe I'll trigger some 'Mystic Form.'"
He suspected that "Mystic" might be a simplified or altered form related to Ultra Instinct.
"Either way, it can only help."
Whis agreed with a graceful wipe of his mouth.
"Excellent plan. Repairing ties with the Kai Realm is beneficial for Universe Seven's future. I'll prepare the journey."
After a full day of training, Vitelli felt satisfied.
He planned to sleep well and head to the Kai Realm in peak condition.
But just as he held Bulma and sleep began to drift in—
Bulma started getting handsy.
Soft fingers traced circles on him. Warm breath brushed his neck, full of teasing heat.
"Uh… we've got important business tomorrow."
Vitelli tried to keep calm with his eyes closed.
"Important business? What's more important than me?"
Bulma's voice was sweet, stubborn, and her hands only grew bolder.
"Somebody disappears for over ten days… comes back and thinks one 'compensation' is enough to get away with it? Hmm?"
A spark flared through Vitelli.
He'd wanted rest, but this little enchantress clearly had other plans.
He rolled over, pinning Bulma beneath him, eyes dangerous and hot.
"In that case, don't blame me for being rude. Tonight you're going to see what I can do. I'll have you help me cultivate!"
Bulma gasped, then laughed brightly—leaning into him instead of backing away.
"Who's scared? Let's see how I deal with you!"
And their warm, harmonious "rest time" officially began.