"???"
Gran's eyes were practically full of question marks.
Did I just hear that right?
Become the candidate for God of Destruction of the Seventh Universe
meaning… to become Lord Beerus's disciple?!
"Hisss!!"
Gran sucked in a sharp breath.
This was way too sudden! He had always believed that with his divine-level cooking skills, he could at least guarantee survival.
But who could've guessed Beerus wouldn't play by any known rule
and would suddenly ask him to become a candidate for God of Destruction?!
Whis, on the other hand, didn't seem the least bit surprised.
In fact, he raised both hands in agreement.
After spending a year teaching Gran, Whis had long witnessed the boy's terrifying potential firsthand.
If you compared Beerus's natural talent to Gran's
to put it bluntly, even Beerus could only look up to him.
Having such a candidate for God of Destruction in the Seventh Universe…
was nothing short of a cosmic blessing.
"Kid," Beerus said calmly, "you said your Saiyan race keeps a kind of historical record, didn't you?
Then you should know what it means when I say 'candidate for God of Destruction,' right?"
Of course Gran knew.
If he became the Seventh Universe's candidate, he would be a being second only to Beerus himself—a position of absolute authority.
And if Beerus were to die or retire…
he'd inherit the title of God of Destruction.
But!
The life of a God of Destruction was linked to that of the Supreme Kai!
Gran wasn't eager to inherit such a glaring weakness.
"Forgive me, Lord Beerus," Gran said, bowing slightly, "but my strength is still too weak to shoulder such responsibility. Perhaps… you should choose someone else."
It wasn't a lie.
During his year in the God of Destruction's realm, Gran had spent all his time mastering his own energy and refining his mental state.
He'd never actually trained for power.
His strength had merely grown naturally, without deliberate effort.
In terms of battle power, he was sitting at around 500,000.
Compared to Beerus… that was laughably weak.
"Weak?"
Beerus's mouth twitched. "You're seven years old, aren't you? Your current strength already matches Frieza's suppressed state—and you still call that weak?"
Frieza's infamous "baby-chair form" wasn't actually his base form—it was a means to contain his power.
His true normal form—the short, round-headed one—had a combat power of around 120 million when unrestrained!
"..."
Gran fell silent.
Beerus gave him a teasing look. "Maybe you don't even realize what you've achieved.
You woke me up early from my slumber because of the thing you comprehended."
Gran blinked.
So that's why Beerus suddenly woke up?
It was because of me?!
Beerus's voice deepened, carrying a rare note of approval.
"With talent like yours, it's only a matter of time before you reach my level—or even surpass me."
He said it with a straight face.
Whis nearly rolled his eyes.
Seven years old.
At seven, this boy had already reached the Peak Kai Dimension, completely mastered his energy, and touched upon the "Half Ultra Instinct" state.
Once his body's instincts evolved further, he'd fully enter the realm of Ultra Instinct.
Could Beerus ever have reached this level at seven? Of course not.
Whis almost laughed aloud, but chose not to expose him.
After all, he too hoped this mysterious boy would become the Seventh Universe's candidate for God of Destruction.
"With talent like yours," Beerus said solemnly, "you're more than qualified to inherit the title.
So—what's your answer?"
Beerus was rarely this polite.
For him to ask rather than command showed just how seriously he regarded Gran.
What was Gran supposed to say? He definitely didn't want this!
But he couldn't just say that aloud.
He hesitated, then shook his head. "Forgive me, Lord Beerus, I—"
Beerus's expression darkened instantly.
"Boy, I've never been this polite to anyone before. Don't take my patience for weakness."
Now that was the demeanor of a true God of Destruction.
When Beerus decided on something—no one in the universe dared refuse.
Those who did… well, their graves grew half a meter high.
(Just ask King Vegeta.)
A suffocating killing intent flooded the air.
Gran felt as though he'd plunged into an icy abyss, trembling uncontrollably.
He had expected Beerus to be angry, and he already had a contingency plan:
If Beerus tried to destroy him, he'd bring out his ultimate secret weapon—instant ramen!
Then he'd claim that killing him would lower the Seventh Universe's average human quality index
a loss Beerus surely wouldn't want to risk.
Twofold strategy—foolproof, right?
But… dare he gamble with Beerus, of all beings?
This wasn't just any deity—this was the most temperamental God of Destruction in existence!
"L-Lord Beerus, I… I accept!"
Gran finally caved. His small face fell in despair.
He truly had no other choice.
"Hahaha! Knew you'd come around."
Beerus looked immensely pleased and shot Whis a grin.
Whis chuckled, lifting his staff.
In the next instant
Gran's small body was enveloped in light, and when it faded, he was clad in a full Egyptian-style ceremonial garb:
sleeveless robe, golden armlets, and a sapphire pendant.
The attire was identical to Beerus's own.
And thus, on that day
the Seventh Universe gained its candidate for God of Destruction.
Celestial hymns echoed across the cosmos.
——
Meanwhile, in the Realm of the Supreme Kai,
Shin and Kibito had just returned.
Shin frowned. "Strange. Not long ago, I sensed a massive surge of Destruction energy… but now it's completely gone."
Kibito shook his head. "I felt it too. I even thought Majin Buu had broken his seal."
Suddenly
A divine chorus resounded across the skies.
"What's going on?"
Both Shin and Kibito turned pale.
At the same time, the Z Sword embedded in the stone pillar began to tremble violently.
From within, the Elder Supreme Kai's voice rang out, filled with disbelief.
"A candidate for God of Destruction?! Impossible! With that lazy skeleton's temperament, he actually took an apprentice?!"
——
North Kai's Planet.
North Kai was hiding in his tiny house, trembling.
He'd already felt Beerus's awakening earlier, and feared the God might come to obliterate his planet again.
But then came the sacred music.
"What in the world is happening now?!"
He darted outside, staring up at the heavens, utterly baffled.
The melody continued to echo across the stars, though North Kai—unlike the Elder Kai—had no idea what it signified.
——
Zeno's Palace.
The Omni-King, mid-game of "Pop the Stars," paused and glanced up briefly
then went right back to playing.
Beside him, the Grand Priest's ever-smiling eyes glinted faintly, his gaze drifting toward the Seventh Universe.