Chapter 5 — When a God Came to Test a Man
I. The Dream of Destruction
In the silent reaches of Universe 7, upon a floating world wrapped in pastel nebulae, a God shifted in his sleep.
Beerus dreamed of a rival.
Not a Super Saiyan God.
Not red hair.
Not divine ritual.
Something else.
A mortal presence without limit.
Contained like a star forced into human shape.
His eyes snapped open.
"I'm awake."
From across the courtyard, staff tapping lightly against polished stone,
Whis smiled pleasantly.
"Good morning, Lord Beerus. You slept for thirty-nine years."
Beerus stretched lazily.
"I had a dream. A mortal disrupted prophecy."
"Yes," Whis replied gently. "A human. Quite unprecedented."
Beerus narrowed his golden eyes.
"Prepare to travel."
II. Earth Feels a God
On Earth, Hercule paused mid-conversation with Videl.
He looked upward.
Not sensing malice.
Not sensing chaos.
Sensing authority.
Pure, refined destructive authority.
Launch noticed immediately.
"Is it worse than the wizard?"
"Yes."
"Are we safe?"
"Yes."
She believed him without question.
III. The Arrival at Capsule Corp
Rather than land in a wasteland, Whis guided Beerus directly to
Capsule Corporation.
Bulma nearly dropped her tablet when a purple, cat-like being appeared in her garden.
"Excuse me," Whis said politely. "We were hoping for refreshments."
Beerus sniffed the air.
Food first.
Judgment later.
The Z Fighters gathered quickly:
Goku
Vegeta
Gohan
Piccolo
And then—
Hercule arrived.
No aura.
No spectacle.
Just calm.
Beerus froze mid-bite.
There it was.
The dream.
IV. First Words
Beerus set down his plate.
"You."
Hercule inclined his head slightly.
"God of Destruction."
Goku blinked.
"You know who he is?"
"Yes."
Beerus smirked faintly.
"You erased Majin Buu."
"Yes."
"You disrupted centuries of divine projection."
"Yes."
No arrogance.
No apology.
Just truth.
Beerus' tail swayed.
"I should destroy you."
"You could try."
The courtyard went silent.
Vegeta nearly choked.
Goku grinned wide.
"Ohhh this is happening!"
V. The Test
Whis raised a hand.
"Perhaps a demonstration rather than annihilation, Lord Beerus?"
Beerus cracked his knuckles.
"Fine. Mortal. Entertain me."
They moved to an uninhabited desert far from civilization.
Beerus attacked first.
No warning.
A flick.
Hercule shifted two centimeters to the left.
The ground behind him disintegrated.
Second strike.
Faster.
Hercule parried lightly.
No shockwave.
Perfect redirection.
Beerus' eyes sharpened.
He increased speed.
Then power.
Then destructive intent.
The planet trembled.
Hercule increased output slightly.
Just enough.
Their clash produced a soundless ripple through the upper atmosphere.
Not destructive.
Contained.
Whis watched closely.
"Oh my."
VI. God-Level Exchange
Beerus vanished.
Appeared behind Hercule.
Elbow strike.
Blocked.
Tail sweep.
Caught.
Palm blast.
Absorbed.
Hercule finally struck back.
One clean, measured body blow.
Beerus slid backward across sand for a full kilometer.
He stopped himself.
Slowly stood.
Not injured.
But—
Shocked.
"That felt… real."
Hercule lowered his guard slightly.
"I am not your enemy."
Beerus' aura flared violet.
"Everything is my enemy."
He rose into the sky.
Energy gathered in his palm.
A sphere of destruction.
Not playful.
Serious.
"Let's see if you can survive this."
Hercule looked at the attack.
Analyzed.
He extended one hand.
Not to overpower.
To balance.
The sphere met his palm.
Instead of exploding—
It shrank.
Compressed.
Contained.
Until it vanished completely.
Beerus' eyes widened.
"You… neutralized Hakai energy."
"Yes."
Whis tapped his staff.
"Fascinating."
VII. The Edge of 10%
Beerus inhaled slowly.
Then exhaled.
"Very well."
His aura surged violently.
The planet cracked beneath pressure.
"I will use ten percent."
Vegeta stared upward in horror.
"Ten percent of a God of Destruction…"
Beerus attacked.
This time Hercule did not fully suppress the impact.
The sky split.
Clouds evaporated.
Oceans trembled.
Hercule met the blow head-on.
For the first time—
He planted his feet firmly.
Sand vaporized beneath him.
Their fists collided.
Shockwaves raced outward, stopping just short of catastrophic.
Because Hercule willed them to.
Beerus pushed harder.
Hercule matched.
Not exceeding.
Matching.
Beerus' grin widened slowly.
Then—
He stopped.
He lowered his fist.
Silence fell.
VIII. Judgment
Beerus hovered above the desert.
"You could defeat me."
"Yes."
The honesty disarmed him.
"You didn't escalate."
"No."
"Why?"
Hercule looked toward the horizon.
"Because strength is not meant to humiliate."
Whis smiled warmly.
Beerus stared.
Long.
Then—
He laughed.
A deep, genuine laugh.
"Well. That's new."
He floated down.
"I will not destroy Earth."
Collective relief rippled across the Z Fighters.
"But," Beerus continued, eyes narrowing playfully, "I will visit often."
Goku pumped his fist.
"Yes!"
Vegeta muttered something about surpassing gods.
IX. A New Arrangement
Later, seated at Capsule Corp with plates of food between them, Beerus regarded Hercule carefully.
"You are not divine."
"No."
"You are not mortal in limit."
"Correct."
Beerus leaned back.
"Interesting."
Whis sipped tea.
"Perhaps, Lord Beerus, this human represents evolution rather than defiance."
Beerus' tail flicked.
"Hmph. If you ever lose control…"
"I won't."
Beerus believed him.
That was the terrifying part.
X. The Shift in Cosmic Balance
High above mortal comprehension, a quiet ripple reached the seat of the angels.
The anomaly remained stable.
No rebellion.
No corruption.
No ego collapse.
The universe did not require correction.
Yet.
For now—
The board adjusted.
A mortal stood at parity with destruction.
Not to overthrow.
But to guard.
XI. Home Again
That night, Hercule returned home.
Launch opened the door before he knocked.
"You won."
"Yes."
"Was it close?"
"No."
She exhaled in relief.
Videl ran down the stairs.
"Was that really a god?"
"Yes."
"Did you beat him?"
"No."
She frowned.
He smiled.
"We came to an understanding."
That answer satisfied her.
For now.
Closing Image
Beerus reclines beneath alien stars.
Eyes half closed.
Smirking.
"A human…"
Whis stands nearby.
"You're pleased."
Beerus snorts.
"I'm intrigued."
On Earth—
Hercule trains under gravity beyond mortal comprehension.
Not to surpass.
Not to dominate.
But to remain steady.
Because now—
The gods are watching.