While Gran and his companions began their journey toward the World of Void, the other universes were far from idle.
In the Destroyer's Realm of Universe 1, three figures stood before the palace: the fur-covered Iwan, his Supreme Kai, and the Angel Awamo. Suddenly, a golden lion stepped out from the temple depths.
"Lord Iwan, I have finished my training in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber," the lion announced. "You look troubled. With me here, what is there to fear?"
Iwan, the fur-ball Destroyer, frowned slightly. "Lambert, I'm only worried about whether the other universes possess powerhouses on your level."
"Impossible," Lambert replied, reverting to his humanoid form, his eyes flashing with absolute confidence. "Universe 1 is the supreme universe, and my strength is beyond anything the others can muster."
"Very well. I'm counting on you."
"Fear not. The glory of Universe 1 is safe in my hands."
Without another word, Iwan signaled Awamo, and the Angel swept them away toward the World of Void.
In Universe 2, a dull, lightless pyramid sat upon a desolate planet, looking as though some ancient creature lay dormant within.
"Rosa, I've spent ten years searching for you. I've finally found you!"
A streak of prismatic light descended—it was Helles, the Goddess of Destruction, accompanied by the Angel Sour.
Rumble—!
The pyramid collapsed as a winged, blonde woman soared into the air. "Lord Helles, why have you summoned me?"
"It's like this..." Helles began.
"So, you're saying there's a tournament that decides the fate of our universe? And you need me to fight?"
"Exactly!"
"Consider it done. The fate of Universe 2 is in my hands."
Helles breathed a sigh of relief. "With you, I can rest easy. Come, we'll pick up the Supreme Kai and head straight for the World of Void!"
By the lakeside of Universe 4's Destroyer Realm, Supreme Kai Kuru looked toward the Angel Cognac. "Is Wright back yet?"
"He is," Cognac replied, pointing toward a wolf-like creature resting under a distant tree.
"Wright! Get over here!" Quitela barked.
The deafening roar echoed through the realm. The wolf-like creature snapped its eyes open, and a shroud of black smoke erupted from its body. When the smoke cleared, a sinister-looking man walked toward Quitela.
"Lord Quitela, why have you called me back?" Wright asked. As he spoke, he eyed Supreme Kai Kuru, his tongue flicking over his lips.
Kuru shivered. The gaze of this ancient being was pure malice.
"You..." Quitela's veins popped in his forehead. Did this fool not realize that if the Supreme Kai died, he would follow? Suppressing his fury, he growled, "You know why I woke you. If you don't take first place, you're dead!"
"Dead, am I?" Wright cracked his neck with a series of sickening pops. A dark grin spread across his face. "Don't worry, Lord Quitela. I know exactly what to do."
Quitela remained silent, but an ominous feeling gnawed at him. Kuru clutched his chest, wondering if awakening this ancient horror was truly a good idea.
Quitela took a deep breath. "Since your awakening, you've been feeding on human fear. No other candidate should be able to match you now. Listen closely!"
"Your command, Lord Quitela?" Wright's wolfish eyes glinted with a cold light.
"The Destroyer of Universe 7 is my sworn enemy. When the time comes, I want you to brutalize their candidate absolutely!"
"Brutalize Universe 7?" Wright licked his lips again, his eyes dancing with anticipation. He had never hunted a Destroyer candidate before. This was going to be fun. But first... how do I deal with this rat? he thought, glancing lazily at Quitela before shifting his gaze back to Kuru.
"Hmph. I don't think I know what's going through that head of yours. Try it if you dare." Quitela stepped in front of Kuru, his body erupting with a surge of Destruction energy. It was the power of the Level 8 Hakai. Even a glance at that energy made Wright feel as though he were about to be erased from existence.
"I wouldn't dream of it!" Wright trembled, though whether it was out of genuine fear or mock terror was anyone's guess.
"Cognac, let's go. To the World of Void." Quitela said nothing more. Once this tool had served its purpose, he fully intended to erase it.
In Universe 11, Belmod stood before his palace with his hands behind his back. "Jiren, remember what you promised."
"I remember. I will crush Universe 7's candidate for you," Jiren replied tonelessly. "Lord Belmod, I expect you to keep your word as well."
"Your master, Gicchin, was a dear friend of mine. I won't deceive you." Belmod sighed and waved his hand. Marcarita understood the signal and summoned a Cube, taking Supreme Kai Khai and the Pride Troopers—Top and Dyspo—toward the World of Void.
Meanwhile, at the Palace of Zeno, a child-like figure resembling an eraser sat on his throne playing a game. Two tall, lanky guards stood by his side.
"Gran Zeno, they have all departed," the Gran Minister said, looking at twelve holographic projections showing the status of each universe's Destroyer.
"Mm~" Zen-Oh put down his controller and clapped his small hands. "I've waited ten years. Finally, the show is starting! Gran Minister, let's go too~"
"As you wish." The Grand Minister waved away the projections and made a sweeping motion in the air.
Crack!
A rift appeared before the throne. "This way, Gran Zeno. The World of Void is just inside."
"Okay! Jumping in now~" Zen-Oh hopped off his throne and scurried into the rift on his short legs. The two guards scrambled to follow him, panicked. Finally, the Grand Minister stepped through, and the rift sealed shut.
The ten-year wait was over. The tournament was about to begin.
In the World of Void, a prismatic light pierced the nothingness. The void trembled as the first group arrived: Universe 9.
"Lord Sidra, is this the legendary World of Void?" A blue wolf with a red scarf hovered in the vacuum. Beside him were two other wolves, one yellow and one red. Had Gran been there, he would have recognized them as the Trio de Dangers from the Tournament of Power: Bergamo, Lavender, and Basil.
"Yes, this is it," Sidra, the dwarf Destroyer, said as he surveyed the empty expanse. They were the first to arrive.
"Lord Sidra, we have Bergamo! He's trained for an extra thousand years in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber. We're sure to win, right?!" Supreme Kai Roh asked with an arrogant smirk.
Sidra looked at Bergamo. After over a millennium of extra training, Bergamo's raw power had reached the fourth level of the Godly Realm, and he had even grasped the basics of Destruction. He was nearly catching up to Sidra himself.
"They say Universe 11 has a candidate stronger than a Destroyer," Sidra said confidently. "But as long as we don't pick a fight with them, we should be able to take second place!"
"Hahaha! That's what I like to hear!" Roh's arrogant laughter echoed through the void. The Angel Mojito shook his head. An arrogant, ignorant Kai and an indecisive, weak Destroyer—Universe 9 were truly a lost cause.
Just then, another light streaked into the void. "Oh? You're early, Sidra."
Sidra looked over to see the arrivals from Universe 11. "Belmod? You aren't far behind."
In this tournament, every universe was an enemy. Sidra's tone was far from warm. Belmod noted the coldness and scoffed internally; it seemed even this coward could find some spine when cornered.
"Are these your candidates?" Belmod moved his group closer, eyeing the Trio de Dangers. Even though they were suppressing their ki, he could see right through them. The one in the blue scarf was the strongest, around the early stages of the fourth level. Trash, he thought.
"What do you think? Not bad, right?" Sidra smiled, oblivious to Belmod's internal mockery.
"Very impressive," Belmod lied, giving a thumbs up that made his stomach turn. Encouraged, Sidra looked over Belmod's team. They were all in red spandex.
"Wait..." Sidra's brow furrowed. He noticed a massive power hidden within the rotund man with the white mustache. That power... it might exceed a Destroyer's. Is that the one Belmod bragged about to Beerus?
"Is he the one you're pinning your hopes on?" Sidra pointed at Top.
Belmod and Top shared a look. Belmod smirked. "Yes, he is one of my choices." Top had also trained for centuries more; his raw power was now at the middle stages of the fourth level—just enough to surpass Sidra.
Sidra's heart skipped a beat as a wave of apprehension washed over him. Universe 11 was indeed a terrifying foe. However, being the lowest-ranked Destroyer, Sidra failed to realize that Jiren was the real monster in the group.
Finally, Mojito couldn't stand it anymore. He leaned in and whispered into Sidra's ear, "Lord Sidra... the bald one with the black eyes is the one you should actually be afraid of."
"What?" Sidra whispered back, his heart racing.
Before he could ask more, the World of Void trembled again. Prismatic light flooded the area as the other universes began to arrive.
Universe 1, the "Supreme Universe," arrived next. Iwan led his massive entourage, but all eyes were on the golden lion, Lambert.
"Lord Belmod, I can't even read that lion's power!" Marcarita whispered.
Mojito's brow furrowed. "To hide one's power so perfectly... he must be at the level of a true Destroyer."
The Angels' words sent a shockwave through the gathered candidates. Even Jiren's expression grew somber. This was the caliber of a universe with a mortal level above 7.
But the shocks didn't stop there. Universe 2, Universe 3... all the way to Universe 12 arrived in rapid succession. Save for Universes 6 and 7, everyone was present. The void fell into a deathly silence. Everyone knew: the person standing next to them was the enemy.
"Belmod, is that the one you said surpassed a Destroyer?" Rumsshi, the fox Destroyer, pointed at Jiren, breaking the silence. All eyes turned to the Pride Trooper.
No one could read him. Like Bergamo, Jiren was hiding his strength, but even the Destroyers and Angels couldn't pierce through his suppression to see his true power. To do that, one had to be at the level of a God of Destruction. Belmod hadn't been lying; his universe truly possessed a monster.
"Rumsshi, your candidate looks like quite the handful himself!" Belmod retorted, looking at a silver fox standing by Rumsshi's side. Its power was equally unreadable.
"Hahaha! Is anyone here 'simple'?" Rumsshi laughed, scanning the field.
Universe 1 had a golden lion. Universe 2 had a massive winged woman. Universe 3 had a soft, translucent slime. Universe 4 had the pitch-black wolf, Wright. Universe 5 had a desiccated mummy. Universe 10 had a mountain of muscle. Universe 11 had Jiren. Universe 12 had a golden sea monster.
None of their power could be gauged. They were all Destroyer-level contestants. Sidra suddenly realized his candidates were likely the weakest there. Damn it all!
The other Destroyers were equally stunned. They had spent ten years searching for candidates, only to find that every other universe had found monsters of its own. This was bad. Only two universes would be spared from punishment. Who could guarantee their candidate would win against such a line-up? Even Iwan of Universe 1 began to lose his confidence.
"Everyone's so quiet. All trying to hide your trump cards, I see," Quitela sneered. His voice drew everyone's attention.
Crap, Kuru thought. He didn't want Wright to be noticed; the evil radiating from him was too distinct.
Sure enough, Arak, the mummy Destroyer, spoke up. "Quitela, that fellow next to you... something's wrong with him."
"Yeah, he feels incredibly sinister," Rumsshi added. To a Destroyer, "evil" usually meant someone who hindered the development of a universe. Wright fit the bill perfectly. He had slaughtered countless mortals and fed on their fear; he practically reeked of a cold, nauseating darkness. Wright, now in human form, glanced around shiftily, his mind racing.
"None of your business!" Quitela snapped, stepping in front of Wright. "If you have time to worry about my guy, you should be figuring out how to deal with Beerus's candidate!"
Quitela knew Wright was an "ancient evil" that, by Destroyer standards, technically deserved erasure, but he needed to deflect.
"Deal with Beerus's candidate?"
The Destroyers, who had been scrutinizing Wright, immediately flashed back to the time Beerus had thrashed them all single-handedly.
"That damn Beerus!"
"I might not be able to beat him, but I can sure beat his candidate!"
"Finally, a chance to get back at him!"
The World of Void is filled with the sound of Destroyers cursing Beerus. The Supreme Kais winced; Beerus was still as unpopular as ever. The candidates, meanwhile, were confused. What on earth had the Universe 7 Destroyer done to make everyone hate him so much?
Seeing the distraction work, Quitela exhaled. "You all remember years ago when Beerus brought that kid with the same constitution as Otis. You saw his potential."
"Stop stalling and get to the point!" the Destroyers grumbled.
"That kid's talent was scary, but he's too young to fight in this tournament," Quitela continued. "But Beerus brought him to see us back then. What does that tell you? It means Beerus has someone even better hidden away!"
Silence fell over the void. Every Destroyer had already considered this possibility. This was Beerus, after all.
"If Beerus is that confident, his candidate's strength must be formidable."
"It's like we said before—we take out the candidates from Universes 6 and 7 first."
"Once those two are gone, we settle those two winning spots among ourselves. Deal?"
Quitela was the craftiest among them, and since Beerus was the common enemy, no one objected.
"Then let me be clear," Iwan stepped forward. "Until Beerus and Champa's candidates are eliminated, no infighting! I want revenge for that fat-pig humiliating me!"
"Agreed!"
"Count me in!"
When it was Belmod's turn, he glanced around, a smirk playing on his lips. "Fine. I agree too."
Quitela saw Belmod's expression and knew the clown was up to something, but he didn't care. He turned to Wright, who was nodding along obediently.
Wright licked his lips, a strange light in his eyes. "Lord Quitela... is this Universe 7 candidate really that strong?"
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