"Beerus? A new apprentice?!"
"Wait—your eldest sister told you?!"
Champa struggled to swallow a mouthful of dry bread, then pounded his chest twice with his fist to force it down.
BOOM! BOOM!
The tremors from his strikes were so violent that the entire Destroyer's Planet shook. Champa finally managed to gulp down the dry crust, though he stared at the dark, murky green juice with absolute dread. He wasn't touching that stuff.
"When did you get in touch with Lady Kusu?" Champa asked, referring to the eldest Angel of Universe 10.
Vados replied coolly, "Don't poke your nose into our sisters' business."
She had learned about Whis's new apprentice during a recent chat with Kusu. According to her sister, Whis had even taken the boy to see their father, the Grand Minister. For Kusu to describe his talent as "impressive" meant this child was someone worth watching.
"Fine, fine, keep your secrets!" Champa huffed, narrowing his eyes. "That bag of bones is too stubborn to die. Even if every other Destroyer in the multiverse kicked the bucket, he'd still be napping. Why would he suddenly pick a successor?"
"My sister said the boy's talent is simply too great to ignore," Vados explained. "That's why Lord Beerus and Whis officially took him on as a Destroyer Candidate."
"So it's not because Beerus is dying? Just because the kid is talented?" Champa's clenched fist relaxed slightly, and a smirk played on his lips. "That bag of bones spends all day sleeping. He doesn't have the patience to teach anyone. He'll probably ruin the kid's potential!"
Vados noticed the shift in Champa's mood and hid a smile. These two brothers—Beerus and Champa—cared for each other deeply, yet they couldn't go five minutes without bickering.
"I wouldn't be so sure, Lord Champa," Vados said, shaking her head. "Lord Beerus's strength is undeniable. Even if he shows the boy a few moves, it would take a normal apprentice lifetimes to master them."
At the mention of Beerus's strength, Champa's face darkened. He vividly remembered the "All-Universe Hide-and-Seek" incident. In that chaotic brawl, Beerus had actually utilised Ultra Instinct, the divine technique usually reserved for Angels.
Damn it! Champa thought. How can a Destroyer be that good at Ultra Instinct?
"Speaking of which," Vados teased, reading his mind, "weren't you trying to learn Ultra Instinct as well? How is that 'rigorous' training coming along?"
"Don't even get me started!" Champa snapped, tossing his glass of green juice aside in a fit of pique. "Destroyers are supposed to focus on the Power of Destruction! How did that skin-and-bones bastard manage to learn Ultra Instinct?!"
The glass shattered, splashing the green liquid across the ground. Vados looked down at the mess, her grip on her staff tightening ever so slightly. He did that on purpose.
"Lord Champa," Vados said, her voice dropping to a dangerously calm level. "You're being quite naughty. Wasting food is a sin. I trust you won't do it again?"
The temperature on the planet plummeted instantly. Champa, a God of Destruction, actually felt a chill run down his spine. "R-Right! Never again! I promise!"
Satisfied, Vados nodded. "Lord Beerus's Ultra Instinct is indeed impressive, though it's far from perfect. It still has its flaws."
To Champa, "flaws" didn't matter. He would give anything to master that divine state, regardless of the imperfections.
"Still," Vados mused, ignoring Champa's rising frustration, "to master Ultra Instinct as a Destroyer... Lord Beerus really is a genius. It's a shame he's so lazy."
"Enough, Vados!" Champa yelled, his chest heaving. "You're the Angel of Universe 6, and I'm your Destroyer! Why are you constantly praising that bag of bones? I'm impressed too! Why don't you ever praise me?!"
He looked genuinely wounded, like a house cat jealous of a stray getting more attention.
"There, there," Vados chuckled, deciding she had teased him enough. "My Lord Champa is very impressive in his own way."
"You bet I am!" Champa's mood did a complete 180. He puffed out his chest. "I'm way better than that skin-and-bones loser. Anyway, tell me about this apprentice. What's his story? I want to see what kind of brat was worth Beerus's time."
"He's only nine years old. Whis found him three and a half years ago—"
"Wait!" Champa interrupted. "A brat? You're telling me Beerus's successor is a literal child?"
A God of Destruction is usually the strongest being in their universe. For Beerus, the strongest of them all, to pick a child as his heir seemed preposterous.
"I was sceptical too," Vados admitted, "but he is indeed a child. And as for his talent... my eldest sister had only one thing to say: It is terrifying."
BOOM!
Champa's heart skipped a beat. Kusu was the eldest of all Angels. If she called a mortal's talent "terrifying," then the kid was a monster in the making.
"But why?!" Champa growled, veins popping on his forehead. "Beerus is already strong enough. Why does he get the once-in-a-billion-years prodigy, too?!"
Vados stared at him, deadpan. What kind of logic is that? she thought.
"Lord Champa! Look at this!" Vados suddenly tapped her staff, her eyes widening as she scanned the Multiverse rankings.
"What is it now?"
"Universe 7's Mortal Level just changed!"
Champa nearly fell over. The Mortal Level (Human Level Index) measures the overall quality and strength of a universe's civilisations. Universe 6 was currently 10th, and Universe 7 was 11th—second to last. Champa didn't mind being 10th, as long as he was ranked higher than Beerus, so he could keep mocking him.
"Did it go up or down?" Champa asked, clenching his fists. If it went up, he'd lose his bragging rights. But if it went down too far... Universe 7 risked being erased by Grand Zeno! Despite their rivalry, Champa didn't actually want his brother to stop existing.
"Lord Champa... Universe 7's index just jumped from 3.18 to 3.20!
A jump of 0.02 sounds small, but these rankings are built over aeons. To move the needle by 0.02 in a matter of weeks was practically a miracle.
"It went up?" Champa's relief was immediately swallowed by fury. "What did that bastard do?! Did he go on a rampage and wipe out every low-level planet to cheat the average?!"
"I'm not sure, but we're going to find out. Vados, grab the Don-Don Bird eggs! We're going to Universe 7!"
Champa's laziness vanished. He stood tall, radiating the terrifying pressure of a God of Destruction. He had to see what his brother was up to.
Back in Universe 7, the Land of the Kais remained a paradise of rolling greens and crystalline lakes. A month ago, Gran had broken the Z-Sword, freeing the Elder Kai. Since then, he had been fast asleep on a lounge chair by the lake, following Whis's orders to recover from his mental exhaustion.
His face was no longer tight with the stress of a three-year training marathon. He looked peaceful.
Beerus, the Elder Kai, Shin, and Kibito appeared by the lakeside.
"Still asleep?" Beerus asked, looking at Whis.
"He is, but he'll wake soon," Whis replied warmly. They all watched the boy, sensing his energy becoming more refined and stable with every breath.
Whis turned to Beerus with a grin. "By the way, Lord Beerus, the work you and the Elder Kai have been doing is paying off. The Mortal Level rose by 0.02!"
While Gran slept, Beerus hadn't been idle. Fearing erasure, he had actually started working with the Elder Kai to manage the universe properly. The strongest Destroyer and the wisest Supreme Kai working in tandem—the results were instantaneous.
"We made quite a splash," the Elder Kai murmured, worried. "The other universes will have noticed."
"Let them notice," Beerus shrugged. "What are you worried about?"
"Lord Beerus, surely you know how many Destroyers hate your guts?" the Elder Kai sighed. "If they see us improving, they might try to sabotage us."
"Let them try," Beerus said, his body flickering with purple Hakai energy. "They tried to gang up on me during that game of hide-and-seek, and I'm still standing. I'd like to see them try something now."
"As long as I'm here, they won't lift a finger. You and Shin focus on the 'Creation' side of things. I'll handle the rest."
Just then, Beerus and Whis both stiffened. They snapped their heads toward the sky.
"They're here," Whis whispered.
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