Chapter 38: Grand Priest
After three full years of guidance under Champa and Vados, Tachibana Kyūjō had completely digested the explosive growth in combat power brought by his Super Saiyan 4 transformation.
More than that—
The "Ultra Instinct" wielded by Angels and the "Ultra Ego" mastered by Gods of Destruction had now been preliminarily fused within him, giving birth to a brand-new form that had never existed before.
In this state, Tachibana Kyūjō's hair turned a shimmering silver, while his pupils glowed with a deep violet light. His body radiated the characteristics of both Instincts at once—calm and detachment intertwined with overwhelming destruction and dominance.
The power contained within this form could no longer be measured by ordinary standards.
For comparison—
If Champa, the God of Destruction of Universe 6, stood at a strength level of 10, then Beerus of Universe 7 would be around 15, while the Angel Whis sat comfortably at 20.
Vados, an older and more powerful Angel than Whis, was estimated to be around 22 to 23.
And yet—even Vados was no longer capable of suppressing Tachibana Kyūjō when he entered this new form.
Which raised an unavoidable question.
Just how many Beeruses could Tachibana Kyūjō defeat in this state?
That question intrigued Kyūjō himself as well. He wanted to test it firsthand…
Beyond successfully merging the two Instincts at a preliminary level, Tachibana Kyūjō had now reached a point where he could permanently maintain one of them even in his normal form.
Even without transforming, his current strength far surpassed both Jiren and Goku in White-Haired Ultra Instinct. Because of that, it had become difficult for him to find any real pressure from mortal beings across the twelve universes.
To maintain balance between the two opposing powers within his body, Kyūjō adopted a rotational system.
Every twelve hours, he switched forms.
Twelve hours in Ultra Instinct.
Twelve hours in Ultra Ego.
Someday—when he fully merged both Instincts into his base form—
That would be the moment he stood at the absolute pinnacle of the Dragon Ball world.
Unless Zeno himself intervened… who could possibly oppose him?
Even the Grand Priest, who also mastered both Instincts, no longer inspired fear in Kyūjō's heart.
At the same time, the nature of the energy flowing through Tachibana Kyūjō's body had changed.
In the past, whenever he activated Ultra Ego, his body would be engulfed in the signature purple aura of destructive God of Destruction energy.
Now—after the initial fusion of the two Instincts—his energy had evolved into a pale, silvery-white radiance.
It represented perfect equilibrium between destruction and serenity.
After reaching this realm, even Vados was no longer able to offer him meaningful training.
Still, before parting ways, she gave him one final suggestion—she was willing to personally recommend Kyūjō to continue his training at Zeno's Palace, the residence of both Zeno and the Grand Priest.
Kyūjō refused.
Personally, he had no desire to step into the Realm of the Gods just yet.
The reason was simple.
Zeno.
In the Dragon Ball Super manga, Zeno appeared childish and innocent.
But make no mistake—
He was the creator of the Twelve Universes.
And even of other multiverses beyond them.
Who could say whether Zeno might be able to perceive Kyūjō's true origin? And Zeno's personality, as depicted in the manga… was dangerously unpredictable.
An entire universe—along with every form of life within it—could be erased simply because he was in a bad mood.
Once, there had been eighteen universes. But when six of them somehow angered Zeno, he erased them without hesitation, leaving behind the twelve that existed today.
Even during the Tournament of Power, when universes stood on the brink of annihilation—could anyone truly say Zeno would restrain himself?
When your fate and life rested entirely in the hands of such an unpredictable being… it felt deeply unsettling.
That was why, until he possessed the ability to protect himself even from Zeno, Kyūjō chose to avoid "Zeno's Palace."
Who knew—Zeno might erase his soul outright, stripping him of his ability to travel between worlds.
Of course, if Zeno had already taken an interest in him, then there would be nothing Kyūjō could do. He would simply have to flow along with fate.
But at least for now—
He still had a choice.
Besides, even without heading into the Realm of the Gods, the path ahead was already clear. As long as he continued walking according to plan, Tachibana Kyūjō would eventually become the second Grand Priest.
Or perhaps…
He might even create a third Instinct and surpass Zeno himself.
— — —
After officially parting ways with Champa and Vados and completing his training on the God of Destruction's Planet of Universe 6, Kyūjō resumed his journey.
He spent a full year traveling across Universe 6, simply enjoying its cultures and civilizations.
Before leaving, he also paid a visit to Planet Sadala—the homeland of the Universe 6 Saiyans.
While the exchange of knowledge between him and the Saiyans there didn't yield much of tangible value, his mere presence alone caused several of them to awaken the "Super Saiyan" transformation.
To Kyūjō, that form was no longer anything special.
But for Universe 6, a transformation that increased combat power by fifty times was more than enough to establish the Saiyan race as a dominant force within the universe.
Moreover, the Saiyans of Universe 6 possessed extraordinary potential. Fortunately—unlike their counterparts in Universe 7—the Saiyans here cherished peace and did not seek conflict without cause.
Now, Kyūjō was preparing to leave Universe 6 behind.
His next destination—
Universe 5.
In the original Dragon Ball Super manga, Universe 5 did not participate in the Tournament of Power because its level of civilization had already reached "Mortal Level 7." For that reason, Zeno granted them an exemption.
Aside from Universe 5, three other universes were also exempt: Universe 1, Universe 8, and Universe 12.
These four possessed the highest mortal standards among the twelve universes.
Just how advanced was Mortal Level 7?
For reference—
Earth in the Dragon Ball world barely qualified as a Level 2 civilization…
Even though no mortal being could rival Kyūjō's strength anymore, his curiosity remained.
Just how far had the technology of a Level 7 civilization advanced?
Driven by that curiosity, Tachibana Kyūjō tore through the boundary between universes and stepped into Universe 5…
— — —
At the same time, within Zeno's Palace—located beyond the Twelve Universes—
The Grand Priest, king of all Angels, had recently been hearing the same name repeatedly from his children.
"Tachibana Kyūjō… the Apprentice God of Destruction from Universe 7."
"A young man who has mastered both Ultra Instinct and Ultra Ego?"
"Heh…"
"How intriguing."
"I look forward to meeting him."
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