"There haven't been any major crises in the multiverse lately, so perhaps the Omni-King simply didn't want the Gods of Destruction to grow complacent. That might be why he handed down such a specific punishment."
Whis and the other Angels nodded instinctively at Kusu's speculation. It made sense; Zen-Oh's whims often served as a cosmic wake-up call.
"Well, it's best not to dwell too much on the Omni-King's motives. Let's get back to the matter of Gran and Quitela," Kusu said, turning her gaze toward Cognic. "As the attendant Angel of Universe 4, you're well aware of the deep-seated animosity between Quitela and Universe 7, aren't you?"
The other Angels shifted their focus to Cognic. He glanced at Whis and sighed. "Of course I am. You all saw the venom in Quitela's eyes when he looked at Gran and Beerus. That hatred is far beyond any hope of reconciliation."
"Beyond reconciliation, is it?" Whis narrowed his eyes, his voice turning cool. "Brother Cognic, I suggest you start scouting for a new Destroyer Candidate immediately. At the rate things are going, it's only a matter of time before Gran kills Quitela."
A shiver ran through the assembled Angels. Quitela was a God of Destruction, nearly as powerful as Beerus himself. Could he truly be killed?
But looking back at Gran's staggering talent and his terrifying display of martial arts, they realized that his eventual victory was almost a mathematical certainty.
"Cognic, it's highly unlikely that Great Zen-Oh or our Father will interfere in a personal feud between Gran and Quitela," Vados added. "You should take Whis's advice seriously."
"I understand. I'll start making preparations," Cognic replied with a nod.
Having served Quitela for so long, he felt a faint trace of sentiment—much like the bond between Beerus and Whis—but he was still an Angel. Angels remained neutral.
If someone were to kill Quitela, he would feel a moment of sadness, but the idea of seeking revenge was nonexistent.
Furthermore, if a God of Destruction were erased without a successor ready, the Angel would be forced into a deep slumber. Cognic had every reason to ensure his universe's survival, regardless of who sat on the throne.
"And Cognic," Kusu warned sternly, "don't even think about interfering with Gran. Neither Father nor the Omni-King would show mercy if you crossed that line."
"Don't worry, Sister," Cognic said, rolling his eyes. "I'm not Merus."
In truth, he had no intention of stepping in. He had long ago seen through Quitela's flaws. A God of Destruction could be cruel, or even cold-blooded, but being narrow-minded was a fatal flaw. Quitela couldn't stand the existence of anyone stronger than him, which meant his own growth had likely hit a ceiling.
"Speaking of which, how is Merus doing these days?" Kusu asked.
The mention of the renegade Angel sparked curiosity among the group, and Whis began to recount Merus's current status as they enjoyed their rare reunion.
Meanwhile, inside the Cube transport, the multiverse blurred past in a kaleidoscope of light. Gran looked away from the view and turned to his companions. "Lord Beerus, from the way you and Old Kai reacted earlier, it seemed like you already knew that Supreme Kai of Time."
Shin and Hit perked up, their curiosity piqued.
"Of course, we know her," Beerus muttered, glancing at Old Kai. "She and this old fossil are from the same era. They're old acquaintances."
Gran's eyes widened. If Chronoa and Old Kai were contemporaries, it meant Beerus was likely even older than Chronoa.
"She is indeed from my time," Old Kai confirmed. "What? Did Lord Beerus and Whis never tell you about the Supreme Kai of Time?"
"Not a word," Gran replied.
Old Kai shot Beerus a look that clearly asked, What have you been doing all this time?
"Don't look at me like that!" Beerus huffed. "The kid has spent every waking second training for this tournament. I didn't exactly have time for a history lesson."
Old Kai conceded the point. "I suppose that's fair. No wonder you looked surprised to see her. Well, let me fill you in on Chronoa and the world beyond this one."
"Beyond the multiverse governed by Zen-Oh, there are other dimensions: the Time Realm, the Dragon Realm, and the Dark Demon Realm," Old Kai explained. "That draconic man you saw was Raphael, the Grand Elder of the Dragon Realm. He holds the highest status among the people of the Dragon God, Zalama."
"And the woman you asked about, Chronoa? She is the Supreme Kai who governs time itself. She resides in the Time Nest at the end of time and serves as a key lieutenant to the Time King."
Gran was floored. In his previous life, the "Time King" and "Dragon God Zalama" were legendary figures often theorized by fans to be the true "end-game" bosses of the franchise. To hear they actually existed was a shock.
"The Time King and Lord Zalama rarely appear within Zen-Oh's multiverse," Old Kai continued. "You don't need to know them personally—just know that they are entities on roughly the same level as the Omni-King."
Gran took a sharp breath. Entities equal to Zen-Oh. It made sense; Zalama's Super Dragon Balls could restore things that Zen-Oh had erased, which implied a similar level of authority. The Time King, however, remained an enigma.
"As for Chronoa, you should probably get to know her," Old Kai added.
"Why?"
"Because even though she's a Supreme Kai, she's in a different league than I am. She is a 'Temporal Administrator.' She has the power to manipulate time and travel freely across different timelines. Her mission is to ensure history follows its proper course and to eliminate any anomalies that threaten it."
The group turned their gaze toward Gran. Chronoa had used her Scroll of Time to check Gran's history earlier. Fortunately, based on her conversation with the Grand Minister, Gran's existence was deemed "legitimate."
"Since she's constantly moving between timelines, you'll likely run into her again in your role as a Destroyer Candidate," Old Kai noted.
"How strong is she?" Gran asked, his eyes gleaming with curiosity.
Old Kai rubbed his chin, glancing at Beerus. Beerus scoffed, knowing exactly what kind of comparison was coming. "In terms of raw power, she's likely not on Lord Beerus's level. However... her ability to escape is second to none!"
That's it? Gran felt a bit let down. But it made sense—if she were invincible, she wouldn't need to recruit Time Patrollers to do the heavy lifting.
"What about the Grand Elder of the Dragon Realm? How strong is he?"
"You certainly have a lot of questions," Old Kai sighed. "I'm not entirely sure. He has existed since long before my time."
Gran looked to Beerus and Champa for answers. Champa shook his head. "Those Dragon Realm folks are a mysterious bunch. Raphael was already a legendary figure by the time Beerus and I became Gods of Destruction."
Beerus nodded. "His true power and the exact length of his existence remain a mystery even to us."
The conversation echoed within the Cube as Gran sat in silence, contemplating the hidden layers of the Dragon Ball world.
"Don't worry about how strong they are," Beerus said flatly. "Just keep getting stronger yourself. One day, you'll surpass them all."
"I will," Gran replied firmly.
As the Cube accelerated, they eventually crossed back into the borders of Universe 7. News of the tournament's outcome spread like wildfire among the higher deities of the multiverse. While Universes 6 and 7 celebrated, the others were plunged into gloom. Zamasu, the apprentice Kai of Universe 10, was particularly shaken; he had finally seen mortals reach a level of power rivaling the gods. He found cold comfort in the fact that the winner was, technically, a divine candidate.
At the end of time, in the Time Realm.
This dimension was relatively small, about the size of a human town, with architecture reminiscent of Western Europe. At its heart stood a structure resembling a grand library: the Vault of Time, where the histories of all timelines were stored.
Suddenly, a rift opened in the air, and a small figure stumbled out, running toward the Vault in a panic. Inside, a blurred figure was standing by a wall, examining the scrolls of history. It was impossible to tell if this figure was male or female, and their features were obscured as if they were not part of the physical world.
"Lord Time King! Something has happened!" Chronoa shouted, skidding to a halt beside the blurred figure.
"What is it, Chronoa?" the figure—the Time King—asked. The voice was melodic and clear, sending ripples through the very fabric of space-time.
"I went to watch Great Zen-Oh's tournament, and you won't believe what I found! There's a mortal named Gran, and his existence is... bizarre. He's a Destroyer Candidate for Universe 7, but in every single timeline I've ever monitored, Universe 7 has never had a candidate by that name!"
"Oh? Is that so?" With a wave of a translucent hand, the Time King opened a pocket of space and summoned a specific scroll. With a flick of a finger, the history of Gran's timeline unfurled.
The blurred figure paused, seemingly surprised. Then, with a wider gesture, the Time King opened all the spaces in the Vault. Hundreds of scrolls flew out like petals in the wind, unfurling simultaneously.
The Time King scanned the scrolls and then stopped dead.
"This boy, Gran... he is dead in every other timeline. In every version of history, he ceases to exist. But in this one timeline you visited... he survived."
The Time King turned toward Chronoa. "If he is the only version of himself across the entire expanse of time, then he has achieved something remarkable. He possesses 'Temporal Uniqueness.'"
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