The two sides faced off in the depths of the cosmic void, the sheer pressure of their presence gradually fracturing and dissolving the surrounding stars.
"A 'good dog'?" Gran repeated, a dangerous glint in his eyes. "And who exactly is this 'good dog' talking about?"
"Besides you, brat, who else could it—"
Quitela cut himself off as he realized the trap in the retort. His face twisted into a mask of pure venom. "You certainly have a sharp tongue."
Gran began to stretch his limbs, rolling his shoulders. He let out a playful, rhythmic chuckle, perfectly mimicking Whis's signature laugh. "Ohohoho~ My tongue is sharp, indeed. I'm just not sure your teeth will stay as sharp as mine once I'm through with you!"
Quitela's expression grew increasingly grim. He was still heavily wounded from previous battles; if he truly had to trade blows with this kid now, he didn't have the absolute confidence that he would emerge the victor.
"Cognac, we're leaving!" Quitela commanded. He finally admitted to himself that he felt a flicker of dread. He wanted out, and he wanted out now. Only by securing all seven Super Dragon Balls could he truly stop fearing this boy.
"Understood," Cognac replied. The Angel himself wasn't particularly eager for this conflict to escalate, and he immediately began to maneuver the Transport Cube.
However, just as Cognac prepared to bank the Cube in a different direction...
RUMBLE—!
The entirety of Universe 6 began to vibrate violently. A brilliant, incandescent silver light erupted from Gran, a scalding aura of silver energy sweeping across the sector. At that moment, he looked like the eye of a cosmic storm, radiating a terrifying power that sent shivers down the spines of anyone who sensed it.
Then, just as the silver aura reached its boiling point, it suddenly surged back into Gran's body with incredible speed. His hair shifted from silver back to its natural black. To a casual observer, he looked like he was in his base form.
But Quitela, who had witnessed the Destroyer Candidate Battle Royale, knew better. Gran had layered the martial mastery of the Angel-level Ultra Instinct onto his physical form.
This was Gran at his absolute peak.
"Cognac, get us out of here! NOW!" Quitela shrieked, his panic rising.
"Leave? You stole from me, and you think you can walk away?!" Gran's voice boomed through the vacuum of space.
Under normal circumstances, if Cognac wanted to ferry Quitela away, Gran wouldn't be able to stop them. But he wasn't alone. Whis knew exactly what Gran intended; he grabbed Gran's shoulder and flickered, appearing instantly in the path of Cognac's Transport Cube.
"Whis, you..." Cognac's eyes widened.
Whis narrowed his eyes, his tone deceptively calm. "Brother Cognac, you know as well as I do that this battle has become unavoidable."
Cognac flashed back to a conversation the twelve Angel siblings had six months prior. Whis had told him then to start looking for a replacement Destroyer for Universe 4. Seeing Cognac hesitate, Quitela's heart skipped a beat.
"Cognac! What are you doing?!" Quitela screamed. "You are my attendant Angel! I am ordering you to take me away from here this instant!"
Cognac looked at Quitela, then turned to Whis with a helpless shake of his head. "Whis, you know the rules. I am still the attendant Angel of Universe 4. As long as Lord Quitela's orders do not violate the laws of neutrality, I am bound to obey."
Quitela exhaled a massive sigh of relief. He had actually feared Cognac was about to abandon him. "Hahaha! I admit you're impressive, kid, but did you really think you could keep me here in front of an Angel?" Quitela cackled.
"You're laughing pretty hard for someone about to be stranded," Gran said, standing beside Whis with a mocking grin. "Did you forget I have an Angel with me, too?"
"You? You're just a Candidate! An Angel only obeys a true God of Destruction. You don't have the authority to command Whis!"
Technically, Quitela was right. Angels only serve the reigning Destroyer; no one else has the right to issue them orders. However...
"Is that so?" Gran glanced at Whis and smiled. "Whis, will you listen to my 'command'?"
"Ohohoho~" Whis giggled behind his hand. "Technically, Lord Quitela is correct. However, Lord Beerus explicitly stated that while he is in his deep sleep, the affairs of Universe 7 are to be left entirely to your management. Therefore, I shall naturally follow your lead."
Quitela's eyes nearly popped out of his head. This shouldn't be possible. The "operating rights" of an Angel weren't supposed to be transferable like that. Beerus shouldn't have been able to delegate Whis's obedience to a mortal.
"You're lying, Whis! Gran has no right to direct you! How can you do this?!"
No matter how much Quitela roared, Whis offered no further explanation.
"Damn it!" Finding no leverage there, Quitela glared at Gran. "Are you really going to force Whis to violate the laws of neutrality?"
Gran burst into laughter. "Violate neutrality? Who said anything about that?" He turned to the Angel beside him. "Whis, I trust it's been a long time since you've sparred with your elder brother, Cognac. I suggest you go find him and have a friendly match right now."
A spar?
Quitela's heart hammered against his ribs. He had been so confident because he knew the neutrality rules would prevent Whis from lifting a finger against him or Cognac. For one Angel to attack another universe's Destroyer or Angel is a grave violation.
But Gran had found the loophole. Whis and Cognac were brothers. A "friendly spar" between siblings was perfectly legal within the laws of the Angels—much like when Whis and Vados would occasionally clash.
"Cognac, move!" Quitela yelled in desperation.
Cognac began to power up the Cube, but Whis appeared in front of them again. "Brother Cognac, I understand the burden of being an attendant. So, come. Let us take this to the Null Realm for a while."
"Very well." Cognac glanced back at Quitela one last time.
A God of Destruction could be cold-blooded, ruthless, or even evil—but they could not be small-minded cowards who fled at the first sign of trouble. If Quitela had faced Gran head-on, Cognac might have resisted Whis's invitation. But Quitela's current display of cowardice left him deeply disappointed.
"Lord Quitela, I cannot refuse a spar from my brother. You are on your own. Good luck," Cognac sighed.
He transformed into a streak of light and vanished from Universe 6. Whis followed suit, but not before grabbing Broly. If he left Broly there, the boy wouldn't survive the shockwaves of the coming battle.
"Cognac! What are you doing?!! Come back!!!" Quitela was left shell-shocked as his protection evaporated.
Now, the only ones left in this stretch of space were Gran, Quitela, and the five Super Dragon Balls.
"There now. You are a Destroyer, after all, and my overall power is technically lower than yours. Are you really that afraid of me?" Gran taunted.
Insulted by a mere "junior," Quitela ground his teeth so hard they nearly cracked. "Do you really think I'm afraid of you, you little pest?!"
"Aren't you? We both know the truth," Gran said, eyeing the Super Dragon Balls behind Quitela. "You stole my Dragon Balls from Lord Champa's palace because you wanted to heal your injuries and find a chance to kill me, didn't you?"
The moment Gran had seen it was Quitela, he had deduced the mouse's entire plan.
"You..." Quitela was stunned by Gran's intuition. He sputtered for a moment before finally asking, "These Super Wish Orbs... you were the one who collected them?"
"Hahaha! Did you really think Champa had the work ethic to go out and find these?" Gran began to crack his knuckles. "I brought these all the way from Universe 7. You had the nerve to steal my property... now let's see if you have the nerve to die!"
The truth was that, even without the theft, Gran would never have let Quitela walk away if they had crossed paths.
Quitela's chest heaved with rage as he clenched his fists. "Fine! Let's do this! A Destroyer killing a Candidate doesn't violate Lord Zen-Oh's orders. Once I've wiped you out, Beerus is going to feel a world of pain!"
"Villains always talk too much. Die!!"
Gran moved.
Mysterious State + Peak Divine Dimension + Ultra Instinct (Beginner Stage)!
Gran's raw power surged, catapulting him into the early levels of the 7th stage of the Divine Realm.
BOOM—!
A catastrophic force erupted outward. In its wake, countless uninhabited planets in the vicinity were vaporized instantly by the mere pressure of his approach.
Meanwhile, at Champa's palace...
"This is bad! This is really bad, Lord Champa!"
Fuwa, the Supreme Kai, arrived at the palace and began frantically searching for Champa and Vados. After a few minutes of searching in vain, he panicked. "Where could he be?!"
Then it hit him. "The dimension training! He said he was taking Hit and the others to the Tower of Dimensions!"
He sprinted to the top floor of the palace and burst into the room. He could sense their energy signatures inside the tower and let out a sob of relief. He scrambled up the tower floors, finally reaching the tenth level.
"Lord Champa! Emergency!!" Fuwa wailed.
"You fat mouse, what's the rush? You're a Supreme Kai, have some dignity—"
"Lord Champa! Quitela has sneaked into Universe 6, and he's currently in a standoff with Gran!!"
"WHAT?!!"
Champa's eyes nearly bulged out. He knew exactly how much blood was between those two. "Vados, move!"
Without a word, Vados tapped her staff and transported Champa and Fuwa out of the tower instantly. The moment they reached the outside air, Champa felt it—the colossal collision of power between Gran and Quitela. Their battle was already tearing the fabric of space apart.
"That damn sewer rat! How dare he lay a finger on my Gran!!" Champa roared.
Gran was Beerus's disciple, and Champa was Beerus's brother. In the hierarchy of things, Champa viewed himself as Gran's uncle. More importantly, Gran had protected Hit and secured Universe 6's victory in the previous tournament. Champa viewed Gran as one of his own.
"Fuwa, your Instant Transmission is faster! Go!"
"Right!"
Fuwa grabbed them, and they vanished from the Destroyer's realm.
At the edge of Universe 6, a world-shaking collision was underway.
BOOM—! BOOM—!
A streak of violet light and a streak of white light intertwined, clashing repeatedly. Every impact sent cracks through the dimensions. Fuwa, Champa, and Vados arrived just in time to see a massive explosion of light.
"Such... such terrifying power!" Fuwa's body trembled uncontrollably.
"Quitela, you bastard! I'll kill you myself!" Champa snarled, preparing to leap into the fray.
Vados caught his arm and shook her head. "Lord Zen-Oh has forbidden Destroyers from fighting one another. Gran and Quitela can fight as they please, but if you intervene and attack Quitela, you will face the Grand Minister's judgment."
"Dammit! Am I just supposed to sit here and watch?!!" Champa ground his teeth.
Vados watched the battle for a moment, her eyes narrowing with interest. "Gran's martial arts have surpassed the level of an ordinary Destroyer. Even Quitela, in his current state, has no guarantee of victory. Besides... the power Gran is showing now might not even be his full strength."
"Huh?" Champa looked at her, completely lost.
"Cognac isn't here, which means Whis has him occupied. For now, let's enjoy the show," Vados said calmly.
"Fine," Champa sighed. Vados was right; he couldn't legally interfere. He'd have to trust the kid. "Go get them, Gran! Kick that rat's head in for me!" His voice echoed across the broken stars.
Gran and Quitela both noticed Champa's arrival, but neither had the luxury of looking away. Their combat intensified.
BOOM—!
Like a Big Bang in miniature, the collision of their energies swallowed the surrounding space, turning it into a void.
"Behind me!" Quitela sensed a shift and threw a desperate punch backward.
CRACK—!
Gran had appeared exactly where Quitela predicted. Their fists collided, sending out a shockwave that rattled the universe.
"Is this the best a Destroyer can do, Lord Quitela? You seem a little... weak," Gran mocked.
He could feel it through the impact—Quitela's power was only at the peak of the 6th stage of the Divine Realm. It was clear that the punishment by the Grand Minister had severely weakened the mouse.
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