"To become a Time Administrator, one must possess temporal uniqueness!"
As those words left the Time King's lips, his voice shifted, fluctuating between shock, exhilaration, and raw excitement.
"Lord Time King, when the Grand Minister examined this little guy, he said there wasn't a single issue with him. And yet, I can't shake the feeling that something is off," Chronoa said, shaking her head doubtfully.
"Something off? Well, there is certainly something unusual about him, but..." The Time King gazed deeply at Gran's image within the Scroll of Eternity, a faint smile playing on his lips. "This boy really is 'clean.' His arrival didn't even trigger the creation of a new parallel timeline."
Suddenly, the Time King spun around. The sudden movement startled the petite Chronoa.
"Lord Time King, what's wrong?"
"You understand how rare temporal uniqueness is, don't you? Have you invited him to join us here in the Time Realm?" The Time King placed a hand on Chronoa's small shoulder, his expression uncharacteristically grave.
Usually, the Time King was as calm as a still pond, but today he was visibly worked up. Chronoa's eyes widened in surprise.
"Speak up, girl!"
"I... I did want to recruit him as a Time Patroller, but..."
"But what?"
"But Lord Zeno won't allow it!" Chronoa pouted, her face a mask of grievance.
"That damn Zen-Egg!"
The Time King pulled his hand back, his voice erupting in sudden fury.
"The stability of space-time is what matters most! I finally find a promising candidate, and he says it's not allowed?! It looks like I'll have to settle this with him personally!"
For a moment, the Time King sounded like a bickering old woman, rambling on and on. Chronoa shrank back, having never seen him react with such intensity.
After a while, the Time Vault fell silent. Chronoa looked up, only to find the spot where the distinguished Time King had been standing was empty. Had he actually gone to pick a fight with the Omni-King? Her jaw dropped.
She stayed in the Time Vault, waiting. Three days and three nights passed. On the fourth day, the blurry silhouette of the Time King suddenly flickered back into existence.
"Lord Time King, where did you go?"
"Where else? I went for a few rounds with that Zen-Egg!" The Time King replied, sounding slightly winded.
Chronoa stood there, mouth agape. He really went to fight Lord Zeno? Her master was far more reckless than she had imagined!
"So... Lord Time King, who won?" she asked excitedly.
"Nobody won, and nobody lost!" The Time King turned to her with a smirk. "However, if you run into that Gran fellow again, feel free to try and scout him for the Time Realm."
"You mean... Lord Zeno changed his mind?"
"Indeed." The Time King nodded, then added in a casual tone, "Though, if he doesn't want to come, don't force it. Just make sure you don't offend him."
"Understood!"
In the Dragon Realm, Elder Raphael returned to the Dragon God Temple. Calling it a temple was an understatement; it was more like a pocket dimension. Within this small world, a colossal, golden Western-style dragon lay coiled, its eyes closed in a deep slumber.
"Lord Zalama, a very interesting individual, has appeared in the Omni-Universe recently," Raphael said, bowing low before the golden dragon.
"I am already aware. That fellow from the Time Realm even went and picked a fight with Zeno over it," a voice, ancient and weathered like the passing of eons, echoed through the dimension. The dragon, however, did not open its eyes.
"What?"
"We shall not interfere in that boy's affairs. You may leave."
"Yes, my Lord."
Though Raphael found it strange, he bowed again and exited the temple. The moment he left the pocket dimension, the dragon that had been resting its eyes snapped them open.
How interesting...
Back in the Omni-Universe, a month had passed since the Battle Royale of the Destroyer Candidates. Even now, the divine beings of the various universes were still gossiping about the results.
In Universe 7, Champa and his team hadn't left immediately; they had lingered for two weeks. Champa had been waiting for Vados to return so they could head back to Universe 6 together, but she was nowhere to be found. Eventually, Champa was forced to leave the delicacies of Universe 7 behind, grumpily leading Hit and the others home.
After all, to compete in that battle, Hit had exhausted nearly two-thirds of his remaining lifespan inside the Hyperbolic Time Chamber. If he wasn't taken back to train his dimensional energy soon, he really would die of old age.
Currently, on the Planet of the God of Destruction, Gran was busy at a lakeside grill. Sizzling on the rack were fish he had personally caught from the Grand Kai's pond in the Otherworld.
"Lord Beerus, does it smell good or what?"
"Delicious!"
"Haha, see how well I treat you? These are premium fish from the afterlife."
"Not bad, kid. You know how to play the game," Beerus said, practically drooling as he watched the grill. "But can you hurry it up? I'm losing patience here."
"A watched pot never boils. Just a little longer," Gran replied, expertly flipping the fish.
He was in a fantastic mood after winning the tournament a month ago. More importantly, after years of training to catch up to Beerus, he felt his martial arts were finally approaching the Destroyer's level. The thought alone made him grin.
"So, Gran, what's next for you? More training?"
Before Beerus could finish, Gran's face darkened. He turned around and snapped, "Lord Beerus, please don't say the word 'training' in front of me. I think I'm going to puke if I hear it one more time!"
Beerus burst into a fit of laughter. "I told you! Life shouldn't just be about training. Who told you to be such a workaholic?"
Gran rolled his eyes. "If I hadn't worked that hard, do you think I would have been the last one standing?"
Beerus stopped laughing and fell silent. He knew Gran was right. If Gran hadn't pushed himself to the limit inside the Time Chamber, he never would have beaten that monster from Universe 1. Seeing Beerus go quiet, Gran softened his tone.
"I'm taking a break from training for a while. I'm planning to head to Earth."
It was currently Age 759. The events of the Z-era were fast approaching. Gran didn't know if Raditz would still show up, but he was determined to change one thing: he wasn't going to let Gohan waste his childhood buried in textbooks.
"Do what you want. I'm staying here," Beerus muttered. "The last ten years have been exhausting. I need a long nap." Beerus assumed Gran was just going to Earth for the food and didn't think much of it.
"And what about him?" Beerus pointed toward Broly, who was standing by the lake. Years ago, Gran had promised to use the Super Dragon Balls to help Broly with his control issues.
"Don't worry, I've got it covered. I'll visit Earth first, then I'll go collect the Super Dragon Balls." Gran flipped a fish and joked, "The Super Dragon Balls only exist in our universe and Universe 6. I doubt Lord Champa will try to stop me."
"Hmph! You're my candidate. If he dares try anything, just give me a shout, and I'll go over there and thrash him!" Beerus flexed his bicep.
"Haha, I'm sure it won't come to that. Lord Champa owes me a huge favor now. Collecting the balls should be a breeze."
Finally, the food was ready. Gran moved three large fish to the table as Broly hurried over. Just as the three of them were about to dig in, two streaks of rainbow light descended from the sky.
It was Whis and Vados. A month ago, the Angels had been called away for a meeting, and the siblings had finally returned.
"That smells wonderful! Gran, Lord Beerus—how untidy of you to start a feast without me!" Whis huffed playfully, taking a seat at the table.
"I knew this was Gran's cooking the moment I stepped onto the planet. Really, Gran, it's quite rude not to wait for us," Vados added, making herself right at home.
Gran looked at his fish, then at the two empty plates in front of the Angels. With a sigh, he divided his portion between Whis and Vados and went back to the grill to cook more meat.
"Whis, what took you guys so long?" Gran asked over his shoulder. Beerus pricked up his ears, curious about what the Angels had been discussing.
"What else could it be? It was all about you," Whis said candidly.
"You have no idea, Gran," Vados added with a hint of jealousy. "My brothers and sisters from the other universes are practically drooling over your potential. They all wish you were their disciple."
"Hmph! Gran belongs to Universe 7. He's ours, dead or alive. They can keep dreaming," Beerus snorted.
Gran's face twitched. Dead or alive? What kind of talk is that?
Whis and Vados chuckled. Vados teased, "Lord Beerus, since I've been eyeing Gran for so long, why don't you let him be my student as well?"
"Ask Whis. Ask Gran. If they agree, I won't stop you," Beerus replied, burying his face in his fish to avoid further conversation.
"Oh-ho-ho~" Whis laughed behind his hand. "I don't mind. It's up to Gran."
Gran paused at the grill. How did this end up being my problem again?
He looked at Vados. She was stunning, with her high ponytail, elegant stature, and mature, "big sister" aura. Sensing his sharp gaze, Vados cleared her throat. "Well? Can I be your second master?"
Gran shook his head. "If I hadn't met Whis first, maybe. But now? I think I'll pass."
Beerus and Whis erupted into satisfied laughter. They had raised this kid for years; if he had jumped ship now, he really would have been an ungrateful brat.
"Hmph!" Vados bit into a piece of fish, annoyed. She remembered trying to scout Gran when he was just a child, and he had rejected her then, too. She couldn't understand what kind of "honeyed wine" Beerus and Whis had given him to make him so loyal.
The group—a God of Destruction, two Angels, and two Saiyans—sat together enjoying the feast. During the meal, Gran listened as Whis spoke about the Time Realm and the Dragon Realm. It matched much of what the Old Kai had told him, but with more detail.
While those realms exist outside the Omni-Universe, they are still tethered to it. The Time King rules at the end of time, but the timelines he manages are almost all branches of the Omni-Universe.
Similarly, Zalama is the master of all dragons, yet his Dragon Balls are scattered within Zeno's reality.
Essentially, the Omni-Universe is the "Main World," and the others are high-level auxiliary spaces—though the Time Realm is unique in that only one version of it exists across all reality. This explained why the Time King was so obsessed with Gran's "uniqueness."
"So, between Lord Zalama and Lord Zeno... who is stronger?" Gran's eyes sparkled with curiosity.
Vados and Whis shared a look. They knew he would ask that. Beerus just shook his head; Gran had asked the Old Kai the same thing weeks ago.
"That is a question I cannot answer," Whis said, shaking his head. "The realm Lord Zeno occupies is far beyond my own, and I don't know the full extent of Lord Zalama or the Time King's power."
Vados nodded. "Above the Divine State is the Angel Tier. Above the Angels is the Grand Minister's Tier. And above the Grand Minister is the realm of Lord Zeno. You can do the math yourself to see how wide the gap is."
Gran was stunned. This was the first time an Angel had clearly outlined the hierarchy of power above the "God" level.
"Whether there is a gap between the three of them, I don't know," Whis continued. "But at that level, even if a gap exists, it isn't massive. Anyway, I still remember the goal you set for your martial arts years ago. Just remember: don't rush. Take it one step at a time."
Martial arts goal? Vados wondered what he meant.
Beerus, however, knew exactly what it was. Gran's goal was: "Punch Beerus, kick Zeno."
The Destroyer felt his eye twitch. That little brat... But then he looked at Gran and realized the kid was already closing in on the first half of that goal. After all, Gran had already begun to touch the hem of the Angel-level fighting style.
"Right, right. I won't rush," Gran said, noticing Beerus's sour expression. He quickly looked down and began stuffing his face with meat.
Whis chuckled. Gran was over 300 years old now, yet he still acted like a kid sometimes. But that was fine. He hadn't changed. Whis watched him eat, quietly looking forward to the day Gran might actually "transcend" everything.
Eventually, the feast wound down. Vados stood up, knowing Champa was likely throwing a tantrum back in Universe 6.
"Gran, Lord Beerus, Whis—I'm heading back. Come visit Universe 6 sometime."
"Count on it. I'll be there soon, Lady Vados. Just don't kick me out when I show up," Gran said with a grin. He was going for the Super Dragon Balls, and he knew she knew it.
"Very well. Until we meet again." Vados nodded and vanished into a pillar of rainbow light.
"Haaa~" Beerus let out a long yawn. "I'm stuffed. I'm going to sleep. Gran, make sure you keep things in order while I'm out."
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