After visiting Nappa and Krillin's newborn children and presenting them with gifts, Raditz departed.
Following a period of rest since the Supreme Kai Council, he'd decided to return to the God of Destruction's realm to seek his next breakthrough. Raditz understood deep in his heart that while Super Saiyan Orange was tremendously powerful—an unprecedented transformation of his own creation—a significant gap still remained between himself and Beerus.
That's not true divine status yet! Raditz thought. Only by perfecting Ultra Instinct could he cross the final barrier that had always blocked his path and successfully enter the realm of genuine godhood.
Whether driven by the unknown threat looming over the multiverse or his own burning desire to grow stronger, he felt an overwhelming urge to advance further.
With this determination burning in his chest, Raditz traveled to the God of Destruction's realm.
The moment he materialized, a violent whirlwind rushed toward him—as if the entire sky was collapsing downward. The pressure was immense! Raditz couldn't help but take a step backward, raising his hands to shield his face as his long hair whipped wildly in the turbulent airflow.
"What the hell?! When did it get this intense?!" Raditz was genuinely shocked.
When he saw the two battling ahead of him, he froze in stunned disbelief.
Son Goku and Vegeta were fighting in mid-air—and it was these two who'd turned the surrounding environment completely upside down, throwing everything into chaos.
Their appearances had transformed dramatically. Their hair and eyebrows had turned brilliant blue. Their pupils glowed with faint azure light. The aura surrounding them was sacred and luminous, with scattered points of light floating like stars in a constellation. This energy was extraordinarily fluid—the outer layers undulating slowly, mixed with bubble-like ki swirling intermittently.
That's right—Super Saiyan God Super Saiyan. Super Saiyan Blue!
This represented another refinement and breakthrough in the Super Saiyan God realm. It was considerably stronger than the red-haired god form, though it also consumed far more stamina. The Super Blue realm was undoubtedly one step closer to Beerus's level. Son Goku and Vegeta had both broken through independently, hot on Raditz's heels in the race for ultimate power.
"These two..." Raditz stood slack-jawed, obviously startled by their incredible speed of progression.
In truth, it had been Raditz's battle against Demon God Demigra that had ignited their fighting spirit and helped them realize new possibilities. The power of leading by example was profound. If Raditz hadn't taken the initiative to break through first, Son Goku and Vegeta wouldn't have achieved this progress. However, their Super Blue forms were still at very early stages—exchanging massive stamina consumption for ultimate strength meant they couldn't maintain the transformation for long periods.
Beerus and Whis stood watching the battle, postures perfectly straight and composed.
"Raditz, you've arrived," Whis said with a knowing smile, as if completely unsurprised by Raditz's appearance.
Beerus didn't even change his expression. After all, Raditz coming and going had become routine—it wasn't worth turning his head for.
"When did Goku and Vegeta achieve this transformation? It's incredible!"
"Haha, not long ago. They've been working extraordinarily hard. You Saiyans all possess remarkable potential," Whis said pleasantly.
Raditz's eyes widened with genuine admiration. "Yeah, it really is amazing!"
At that moment, an overwhelming surge of power erupted in the air. Two brilliant lights collided together, releasing wild energy that generated a mighty shockwave!
This display of power stirred something within Raditz—the blood in his veins boiled with competitive fire.
The duel between the two warriors was evenly matched. They clashed again and again, launching attacks like relentless storms. The more they fought, the more courageous they became. Turbulent winds and flying debris passed by the spectators, but Whis, Beerus, and Raditz remained perfectly still, observing the competition with serious focus.
Whenever the surrounding environment experienced massive damage, Whis would immediately restore it with divine power. No matter how far this battle escalated, there was no need for excessive concern.
BOOM—BOOM! BANG BANG BANG BANG!
"HAA!"
"AH! TA-TA-TA-TA-TA-TA!"
Brilliant white light flickered continuously. Deafening roars echoed across the sky. The sharp friction of bodies breaking through air, the collision and thunder of energy impacts, the explosive force of fists meeting fists—all gathered together, melding with constantly intertwining limbs and rising battle auras!
Vegeta fought fearlessly, often able to seize opportunities and land hits on Goku. But Goku countered with lightning speed—immediately retaliating after taking a punch. Both warriors' strikes carried tremendous force, possessing power sufficient to tear through space itself, exploding with earth-shattering detonations.
Is this the strength of Super Blue? At the Super Blue level, Vegeta was already matching Goku blow for blow—at least for now! A rare smile appeared on his face, with traces of fanaticism burning in his eyes.
Power feels incredible! He wasn't just trying to catch up to Kakarot anymore—he was determined to surpass him completely!
"Vegeta's mind is becoming unfocused," Whis observed lightly.
"Indeed. He's too excited—his attacks have lost their usual tactical thinking. Though overthinking isn't necessarily advantageous either," Beerus added matter-of-factly.
Sure enough, the moment both deities finished speaking, Vegeta was kicked backward by Son Goku. His figure retreated sharply, a dusty footprint emblazoned on his chest—extremely conspicuous. A ring of dust and debris exploded around him as residual force rolled away like a wave, flattening the entire surrounding space.
A faintly glowing trail could be seen with the naked eye across the sky—the trajectory of Vegeta's knockback.
"Damn! Got careless!" Vegeta gritted his teeth, his eyes sharpening to razor focus. The blue flames surrounding him suddenly intensified, and his momentum became even more majestic.
Space itself seemed to compress. The bubble-like energy particles around his aura suddenly boiled with a sharp crack—then exploded! Vegeta's form, moving faster than light, appeared instantly before Son Goku.
WHAM!
Vegeta's fist slammed toward Goku's abdomen—but Son Goku perceived Vegeta's movement in a ten-thousandth of a second. He simultaneously threw his own punch, driving it into Vegeta's stomach!
Both fighters changed their strikes mid-motion. Space rippled like a disturbed tide.
Half a second later, both warriors pulled back, eyes bloodshot from exertion. Goku clutched his stomach and panted heavily. Vegeta was drenched in even more sweat.
"As expected of Kakarot... hah... hah..."
"You're not bad yourself," Son Goku said, a wide grin spreading across his face.
"But I can't... hold this any longer..." Vegeta composed himself and faded from Super Blue state. His physical stamina had reached absolute limits—he could no longer support the tremendous burden of maintaining the transformation.
Son Goku had actually reached his limit as well, just slightly more composed than Vegeta about it.
After all, their Super Blue forms weren't perfected yet. The consumption far exceeded normal levels—especially with Vegeta's impetuous offensive and unprovoked power surges, which had dramatically accelerated his stamina drain.
Both warriors reverted to base form and landed on solid ground. Only then did they notice Raditz's presence, registering genuine surprise.
"Raditz! When did you arrive?" Vegeta asked.
"Just now. I didn't expect to witness such an intense confrontation between you two. You've both grown considerably stronger than before."
"Hmph! This transformation was specifically developed to challenge you!"
"Really?" Raditz smiled slightly. "Seems like it's not quite sufficient yet."
Son Goku frowned thoughtfully. "I also think my brother's Super Orange form appears stronger. We still have considerable work ahead."
A flash of frustration crossed Vegeta's expression. He snorted coldly and turned his face aside. Of course he knew Super Blue wasn't yet a match for Raditz's current level—that's why he practiced day and night, desperately trying to narrow the gap.
Whis chuckled softly and waved his staff, simultaneously restoring the surrounding environment and replenishing Son Goku and Vegeta's physical stamina completely.
He glanced at Beerus with a mischievous gleam. "Why don't you spar with Lord Beerus to see what level you've truly reached?"
"Whis! What are you suggesting?!" Beerus looked startled.
"Hasn't Lord Beerus always said he wants to properly instruct them? This is an excellent opportunity." Whis covered his mouth, smiling with obvious amusement. His eyes squinted as if eagerly anticipating a wonderful battle.