Aside from Cus, the other Angels were also staring intently at little Broly. They saw through his constitution instantly—a rare, legendary physical build they had only heard of in whispers.
Suddenly, a spark of realization flashed through their minds. They all remembered: it was the same "limitless" power-scaling physique once possessed by Odis!
Except for Whis, every Angel turned their gaze toward the Grand Minister in shock. Even Vados was stunned; when she and Champa had visited Universe 7 previously, she hadn't seen Broly.
She remembered Gran suggesting they look into Saiyans for potential candidates, but she never imagined they would actually find someone with Odis's legendary constitution within that race.
Noticing the shift in the Angels' expressions, Quitela and the other Destroyers jumped in surprise. They quickly redirected their attention back to the boy. Broly, for his part, didn't flinch. He stood his ground with the cold, immovable presence of a true Destroyer Candidate.
"Father, is it truly the physique you spoke of all those years ago?" Marcarita, the Angel of Universe 11, asked.
"It is," the Grand Minister replied, making no effort to hide the truth.
At his confirmation, the Angels' expressions turned incredibly solemn. Unlike them, the Gods of Destruction could only sense that Broly's aura was exceptionally violent; they couldn't see the deeper mechanics of his biology. However, seeing the Angels react this way, they knew the brat's potential was anything but ordinary.
No wonder...
No wonder Beerus took this kid in. Damn you, Beerus! Every Destroyer roared internally, Champa included. How could Beerus have a monster like Gran and a prodigy like Broly at the same time?
"Hahaha!"
Beerus was having the time of his life. He strolled over to Quitela and patted the rat-like god on the shoulder. "Hey, dead rat, I think you were laughing the loudest just a second ago. Why the long face? Are you not a fan of smiling?"
He then moved to Liquiir, the God of Destruction for Universe 8. "I remember you liked a good chuckle, too, you old fox. Why don't you give me another one? It goes like this, right? Heh heh heh~"
Next, he stopped in front of Belmod of Universe 11. "A clown is truly a clown. In my eyes, you're nothing but a joke!"
Beerus was being insufferable. Aside from Champa, he made a point to "visit" every single god who had mocked him.
"So, my candidate is alright, wouldn't you say? I wonder if he still counts as 'garbage' in your eyes? Why is it so quiet? Let's keep the laughter going! Ha. Ha. Ha..."
The tables had turned so fast that it left the other gods dizzy. Beerus had only one thought in his mind: This feels amazing.
"What are you so proud of, Beerus?" Arack, the Destroyer of Universe 5, couldn't take it anymore. He huffed, "I'll admit the kid's talent is frightening, but he hasn't grown into it yet, has he?"
Arack couldn't fully grasp Broly's constitution, but his point was valid. The multiverse was full of geniuses who never reached their peak. If a genius didn't grow up, they were no different from trash.
"Exactly!" Iwan of Universe 1. "The Grand Minister has already built the arena. How much time do you think is left before the Battle Royale?"
Gin of Universe 12 added, "You don't seriously think he can catch up in time for this fight, do you?"
The mockery started up again, but Champa and Rumsshi remained silent. They didn't know if the little monster could catch up in five years, but they knew for a damn certainty that Gran would be there.
"Whether my candidate catches up is none of your concern," Beerus said, his goal achieved. He pushed Broly back toward Whis and turned to face the group. "You'd be better off worrying about yourselves. If you end up in the bottom three, you'll have to deal with Lord Zeno's punishment!"
At this, the other gods realized that Universe 7 clearly had more than one candidate. It made sense; their own universes had recruited several, so there was no reason Universe 7 wouldn't do the same. And judging by Beerus's smug tone, he didn't seem worried at all. Did he have someone even stronger and more talented hidden away?
The Destroyers exchanged glances, seeing the growing anxiety in each other's eyes. Even if Universe 7 was ranked second to last, you could never underestimate them as long as Beerus was around.
"Alright," the Grand Minister finally spoke, breaking his silence. "I have summoned you here for two purposes."
He cast a side glance at Beerus. The cat is getting a bit too arrogant; let's see if he can keep that up in a moment.
The gods and Angels immediately perked up, listening intently.
"First, Lord Zeno feels that punishing only three universes is a bit too few. If the threat is removed for most of the participants too early, the remaining battles will lack a sense of crisis... and that would be boring. Therefore, the rules are changing. The number of universes to be punished is now increased to ten."
He paused, then added coldly, "In other words, only the top two universes will be exempt from punishment."
The void went silent for a heartbeat before exploding.
"What?!"
"Only the top two are safe?!"
The Destroyers were horrified. Under the old rules, a weaker universe could hope for a bit of luck to stay out of the bottom three. Since Beerus was already so hated, everyone assumed his candidate would be ganged up on and eliminated first, making the path to safety even easier. But now, with only two spots for survival, the competition was going to be bloodthirsty.
"Do you have an objection?" the Grand Minister asked, his eyes narrowing as he scanned the crowd.
"No, no, not at all!" the gods stammered, bowing their heads. No one dared to cross him. If there was a chance to survive the Battle Royale, there was no chance of surviving the Grand Minister's wrath if they talked back.
Every god except Beerus was now drowning in anxiety. They were lost, wondering how on earth they could guarantee a top-two finish. In a twelve-universe free-for-all, there were too many variables. Even Universe 11 and the top four universes with high mortal levels couldn't guarantee they'd be the final two standing.
Suddenly, Champa sidled up to Beerus and nudged his shoulder.
"What?" Beerus asked, a smirk playing on his lips.
Champa hissed through his teeth, "You know what!"
"I don't. Why don't you tell me?" Beerus grinned.
Champa shook with rage at his brother's blatant opportunism. He leaned in and silently mouthed the words: "Brother... SAVE ME!!!"
With two safe spots available, if Gran was as strong as Champa suspected, Universe 7 was a lock for one. That meant the second spot was up for grabs. If Gran helped Hit, Universe 6 would be safe too. Gran was the only variable that could guarantee Champa's survival.
"Hahaha!" Beerus laughed. Fatty, I knew you'd come crawling to me eventually! He didn't say anything out loud, but his continuous laughter was answer enough. Champa, sensing the agreement, started giggling like an idiot as well.
The other gods watched the brothers' bizarre behavior with confusion. Unlike them, Rumsshi—having heard the truth about Universe 7 from Cus—was green with envy. Why wasn't he the one related to Beerus? He could have secured an alliance!
Cus noticed her Destroyer's dark expression. She knew that if Gran was involved, he would be the sole protagonist of the upcoming war. Given the bond between the brothers, Universe 10 was in deep trouble. But she remained silent; after all, this was a matter for the Destroyers.
"Father, what is the second reason for summoning the Lords here?" Cus asked.
"The second reason..." The Grand Minister suddenly drifted up into the air. Everyone followed suit. He floated ten thousand meters above the arena and looked down. "This is the arena I've built, but I'm not entirely sure how sturdy it is. So..."
He scanned the circle of gods, his eyes landing on Beerus. "I'd like you all to help me test it."
Boom!
The news hit the Destroyers like a thunderclap. The Grand Minister wanted to see the twelve of them fight. A surge of excitement followed the shock. Grand Zeno had long forbidden the Destroyers from fighting one another because their clashes could easily erase entire universes. But now, with the Grand Minister's blessing, they could finally go all out.
More importantly... Beerus was here. During their last encounter, the other eleven had ganged up on him and still failed to put him down. It was a mark of absolute shame. Millions of years had passed, and they had all grown stronger. Finally, they had their chance for revenge.
"Oh no..."
Beerus saw the predatory glints in Belmod and Quitela's eyes. The scene was all too familiar. He was about to be ganged up on again.
"Lord Grand Minister... do we have to?" Beerus asked, his stubbornness getting the better of him.
"What do you think?" the Grand Minister replied, his smile never wavering. That's what you get for being cocky and for influencing Whis's behavior lately...
"I—" Beerus started to protest.
Champa suddenly flew over and covered Beerus's mouth. "Are you trying to get us killed?" he hissed.
Beerus broke into a cold sweat, realizing he had almost talked back to the Great Priest.
"Since no one has any objections, you may begin."
With a wave of the Grand Minister's hand, all twelve Destroyers were warped down onto the arena. Above, only the Angels and little Broly remained.
"Father, is this little one really the same as Odis?" With the Destroyers gone, Vados spoke more freely. She hovered near Whis, picking up Broly to examine him from every angle. The other Angels crowded around as well.
"He is," the Grand Minister confirmed with an elegant smile.
Cognac glanced at Whis. "The story of Odysseus was legendary. I'm surprised you managed to find such a talent, Whis."
Marcarita adjusted her staff. "I just wonder if our little brother has solved the inherent flaws of that constitution. If he has, Universe 7 is about to produce a terrifying power."
"Oh-ho-ho~" Whis chuckled. "Don't worry about me, dear brothers and sisters. You should worry about whether your Destroyers can actually take down Lord Beerus."
The Angels turned their attention to the massive arena below, where the gods stood in a vast desert. They knew Beerus's reputation; this fight was destined to be a 1-versus-11 massacre. Beerus had survived it once before, which was still baffling to many of them.
"Whis, in the past, Lord Beerus and Lord Quitela were equal—both at the early stages of the seventh level of the Divine Realm," Awamo of Universe 1 noted. "Judging by your tone, has Lord Beerus made another breakthrough?"
The other Angels narrowed their eyes. Tens of millions of years had passed since that last fight. With Beerus's talent, a breakthrough wouldn't be surprising, but with his lazy personality, it was never a guarantee.
"Whether he has or not, you'll see soon enough," Whis said with a knowing smile.
"So mysterious?" The Angels looked toward the Grand Minister for answers.
He only gave a faint smile. "Why are you all looking at me? Is something the matter?"
"Father," Marcarita asked tentatively, "who do you think will be the last one standing?"
"I only asked them to test the durability of the arena," the Grand Minister replied, shaking his head. "As for who stands at the end... that is for you to find out for yourselves."
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