Time flew by.
A month had passed since the cataclysmic brawl between the Gods of Destruction in the World of Void. That battle had served as a wake-up call for the deities of every universe, forcing them to witness the terrifying extent of Beerus's true power.
In the eyes of the Angels, Beerus had reached the absolute ceiling of the Destroyer rank. One more breakthrough and he would enter the realm of a Half-Step Angel.
The term "Angel" carried a weight that chilled the bones of any god. Facing a version of Beerus who sat on the precipice of that power left the other Destroyers with a profound sense of helplessness.
However, these were Gods of Destruction—each a pinnacle talent of their own universe who had endured eons of hardship to claim their titles. "Surrender" was not a word in their vocabulary.
Over the past month, they had returned to their respective realms not only to push their own limits but also to double down on training their candidates. They knew their only chance to wipe the smirk off Beerus's face would be the Tournament of Candidates five years from now.
Inside the World of Void, which had been a desolate ruin only a month prior, five figures remained: Beerus, Champa, Whis, Vados, and the young Saiyan, Gran.
"Damn it, Beerus! You're the one who trashed the place, so why am I stuck helping you rebuild it?" Champa grumbled, huffing as he slammed the final slab of Katchin Steel into the floor. Exhausted, he collapsed right there on the spot.
"Are you honestly trying to say you didn't have a hand in erasing the old one?" Beerus retorted, hoisting Champa up by the scruff of his neck as they hovered into the air.
As they ascended, Whis and Vados exchanged a knowing glance and tapped their staves. Two waves of shimmering silver light washed over the metallic platform. In an instant, the sterile floor transformed into a diverse landscape of lush forests, frozen peaks, scorching deserts, bubbling lava pits, and vast oceans.
"I had a hand in it?" Champa snapped, shaking off Beerus's grip. "I barely scuffed the paint! Compared to the havoc you wrecked, my contribution was practically a rounding error!"
"You were involved, weren't you? Then stop whining and keep working!"
"You—!" Champa looked ready to throw hands, but he caught himself.
"What's with the face?" Beerus said with a wicked grin. "Do you want that safety slot for the tournament or not?"
"I want it! I want it!" Champa's attitude shifted instantly. He knew the "safety slot" meant his universe wouldn't face erasure or punishment regardless of the outcome. In this current hierarchy, only Beerus had the clout to guarantee such a favor from the higher-ups.
"Brother! My dear, wonderful brother! I'm counting on you!" Champa chirped, fluttering behind Beerus to massage his shoulders with a sycophantic grin. Vados watched from the sidelines, visibly unimpressed by her Destroyer's lack of dignity.
"By the way, Lord Beerus," Vados said, her eyes narrowing slightly. "Exactly how strong has Gran become?"
She and Champa had visited Universe 7 shortly after the summit. Back then, Gran's divine dimension was already as terrifying as Beerus's—sitting at the peak of the godly realm.
In terms of raw combat power, Gran could hit Level 1 of the Divine Realm at full throttle, while his autonomous physical instincts had reached Level 3. Given his freakish talent, five years of focused training should have yielded something monstrous.
Champa's hands stopped moving as he leaned in, ears perked.
"Keep those hands moving, lard-bucket," Beerus barked.
"Oh! Right... sorry!" Champa resumed the massage, not daring to talk back. Beerus savored the moment; in millions of years, Champa had never been this submissive. It felt glorious.
"To be honest, I'm not entirely sure where Gran stands right now," Beerus admitted, stroking his chin thoughtfully. "When the Grand Minister summoned me, Gran had only just emerged from the Time Chamber."
Beerus explained the situation. When he finished, Champa's hands stopped again, his jaw dropping. "You're saying he left the Time Chamber early?"
Using the Hyperbolic Time Chamber was an open secret among Destroyers, and Champa used it as much as anyone. But with years left until the tournament, why would Gran stop now?
"Is his lifespan an issue? No, that can't be it," Champa muttered, shaking his head.
"The kid's a god now; his dimensional tier is the same as yours. He's basically immortal."
"Enough babbling," Beerus said, rubbing his temples.
"You know how Gran is. The fact that he managed to stay inside and train for over 300 years is already a miracle of discipline."
The silence that followed was heavy. Both Champa and Vados understood the implications. Gran had reached a terrifying level of power after only a decade of training. If he had just put in three centuries of work, the idea of him reaching Beerus's current level wasn't just possible—it was probable.
"The arena is finished. Why don't you two follow us back to Universe 7 to see for yourselves?" Beerus suggested. "He should be back at the Sacred World of the Kai by now."
Champa and Vados nodded in unison. For Champa, Gran was his ticket to survival. For Vados, Gran was the most fascinating anomaly she had ever encountered—the one she had once tried to "kidnap" for her own universe. She was dying to see the results of his seclusion.
"Let's move, then." Beerus glanced at Whis, who conjured a Warp Cube. Once everyone was inside, the cube streaked toward Universe 7.
As they traveled, the brothers' bickering continued. "So, lard-bucket, what's the deal with your candidate? How strong is he?"
"Why do you care?"
"I just want to make sure you didn't pick a total loser. I don't want anyone dragging Gran down."
"Don't worry about that," Champa smirked. "In a straight-up slugfest, he might struggle, but in terms of survival? I'd bet everything that he's the hardest person to kill in the entire multiverse."
"Oh? What kind of trick does he have?"
"I don't mind telling you... His ability involves the manipulation of Time..."
"What?!"
Universe 7, The Sacred World of the Kai.
Under the shade of a massive tree, the Old Kai sat with a dirty magazine in one hand, giggling like a lecherous gremlin. Sitting cross-legged before him was Gran, his eyes closed in deep meditation.
Nearby, Shin (the Supreme Kai) watched with a vein throbbing in his forehead. A Supreme Kai from fifteen generations ago, and all he does is read that trash... how embarrassing.
He turned his gaze to Gran, wondering just how much the boy had grown. A month ago, when the ancestor had first begun "unlocking" Gran's potential, he had let out a cry of pure shock. But since then, the old man hadn't said a word, only giggling to himself.
Shin sighed and turned back to his crystal ball to monitor the universe. Over the last two years, Universe 7 had undergone a strange transformation.
Cooler had vanished from the Eastern Galaxy, and without his armored squadron, various minor villains had tried to fill the vacuum. Fortunately, the Saiyans had integrated into the Galactic Patrol, and their presence kept the peace.
More importantly, high-potential civilizations were blooming across the cosmos at an unprecedented rate. Shin calculated that within a decade, the universe's Mortal Level would experience a massive spike.
"Let's see..." Shin began running the numbers, his eyes widening. "If the current trend continues, then in ten years, we'll hit... 4.0!"
His heart hammered against his ribs. He checked the math again, but the result was the same. The current level was 3.20; a jump to 4.0 was unheard of. Excitedly, he tried to project twenty years into the future, but a flash of rainbow light interrupted his thoughts.
"I can't believe your candidate can mess with time. That definitely helps with survival," Beerus's voice echoed as the group stepped out of the Warp Cube.
"Told you," Champa gloated.
"My number one rule for a candidate was: 'Don't get in Gran's way.' So, I picked someone who simply cannot be caught!"
"I can't decide if that's brilliant or just cowardly," Beerus muttered, reaching out to grab Champa's neck.
"Lord Beerus!" Shin called out, running over. He froze when he saw the guests. "Lord Champa! Lady Vados! Welcome!" He bowed deeply.
Beerus let go of Champa and looked toward the tree. "I see the old man has already started the ritual."
Everyone's attention shifted to Gran. He was no longer wearing his heavy gravity suit, appearing lean and focused. He sat perfectly still, his presence seemingly blending into the atmosphere.
A long silence followed. Finally, Vados spoke, her voice uncharacteristically grave. "I can't see through him."
Champa gasped. "What do you mean you can't see through him?"
"I mean," Vados explained, "that his current state can only be perceived by someone who has reached the level of a True God of Destruction."
The revelation hit Champa like a physical blow. Destruction level already? Is this kid even real?
"Whis, you're closer to him than anyone," Beerus said, trying to mask his own excitement. "What's your take?"
Whis took a deep breath, maintaining his composure with effort. "My take? I agree with my sister. Gran has become an enigma even to me."
Beerus felt a surge of adrenaline. If both Angels were saying this, Gran's power was off the charts.
"Hey, Champa... remember that clown Belmod? He was bragging that his candidate has 'power beyond a Destroyer,' right?"
"Yeah, he wouldn't shut up about it," Champa replied, a wide grin spreading across his face.
"Power beyond a Destroyer?" Beerus bared his teeth in a predatory smile. "Compared to my Gran, that guy is nothing but a warm-up act."
Years ago, Whis had estimated that Gran could dominate any candidate with just Level 2 Divine power.
Now, nobody knew where his ceiling was, but with his "Transcendent" talent, the jump would be astronomical. Beerus suspected that some of the sitting Destroyers wouldn't even be a match for the boy now.
"Hahaha!" Champa barked, hands on his hips. "Our two universes, joined together... who could possibly stand against us?"
Vados sighed at the "our" part. The boy's strength belongs to Universe 7, you greedy cat, she thought, though she couldn't help but smile.
"Keep it down!" Beerus punched Champa in the gut, doubling him over.
"Ow! What was that for?!"
"The old man is unlocking his potential," Beerus hissed. "Don't you dare distract them."
Champa and Vados looked at the ritual. Usually, "potential unlocking" was seen as a shortcut or a cheap trick, often accompanied by severe side effects or a shortened lifespan. Why would Beerus allow such a thing for a talent like Gran?
"Lord Champa," Whis clarified, sensing their concern. "The Elder Kai's ritual is unique. It draws out latent power with absolutely zero side effects."
"Zero side effects?!" Champa's eyes nearly popped out of his head. Gran was already an unreadable monster. If he was getting a massive, "clean" power boost on top of that... exactly how terrifying would he be in five years?
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