Levos had only been gone for a moment.
But when he returned, the atmosphere in the arena felt… wrong.
Every God of Destruction and Supreme Kai was down on one knee.
"Your Majesty, Grand Zeno, I believe this tournament was unfair!"
"We agreed this would be a contest among mortals, yet Universe 6 and Universe 7 brought in fighters whose strength clearly surpasses the realm of gods. I propose their results be annulled!"
"That's right! From the start, we were tricked by Universe 7. A match this unfair should never have been allowed!"
"I suspect this was a conspiracy against all universes. We must investigate Universe 6 and Universe 7 thoroughly and expose the plot they've been hiding!"
Faced with the collective accusations of the gods, Beerus couldn't help snorting coldly.
Champa, meanwhile, buried his head even lower.
Whis and Vados remained calm, standing behind their respective Gods of Destruction as if none of this concerned them.
Zeno blinked, puzzled. "A conspiracy?"
The gods exploded with indignation.
"We were set up by Son Goku and Levos from Universe 7! They planned everything before the tournament even began, using some secret technique to enhance their mortals!"
"Otherwise, how could mere mortals possess power beyond the gods? They demanded this tournament to wipe out the other universes!"
"Exactly! They must be demons sent from the Demon Realm!"
"Or else the gap between fighters wouldn't be this absurd. The other universes never had even the slightest chance!"
"These despicable mortals must be punished. How dare they use schemes to deceive us gods!"
The complaints came in a storm, loud enough to shake the sky itself.
"Too noisy." Zeno's face remained blank.
In an instant, every god straightened their kneel, backs ramrod-stiff.
The arena fell dead silent.
"The tournament…" Zeno murmured.
"It was fun."
"I didn't watch enough."
The Grand Priest spoke evenly. "His Majesty is very satisfied with this tournament and hopes that in the next one, the fighters of every universe will continue to perform superbly."
The next one?
Even Universe 11, with Jiren, wouldn't stand a chance against what they'd just seen.
That fear was exactly why the gods had forced themselves into this united assault on Universe 6 and 7.
"T-then…" Belmod raised his head immediately. "Grand Priest, in the next tournament, will Gods of Destruction be permitted to compete as fighters?"
The Grand Priest smiled faintly. "Combat between Gods of Destruction is not permitted. That is the rule."
"If that's the case, then aside from those two cheating universes, none of us have any chance at all!" Sidra of Universe 9 spoke with agitation. "Grand Priest, forgive my bluntness, but a tournament like this has no fairness whatsoever!"
"Oh?" The Grand Priest still looked patient, mild-mannered, as if he had all the time in the world. "Then may I ask, what better arrangement would the honored gods propose?"
Supreme Kai Roh curled his lips into a sinister smile.
"First, if someone plotted a conspiracy, they must pay the price."
"Today's win or loss is meaningless. What matters is that we eliminate those cunning mortals completely, and make the world fear the gods once more!"
"Agreed!"
"That's right!"
"Well said!"
The gods nodded, voices rising again.
"This is authority we gods are born with. Mortals must not even think of profaning it!"
"Mortals should never be allowed to obtain such strength. Otherwise, as we've seen today, they will breed a rebellious heart!" Roh declared passionately.
"That's right! Those mortals cannot be allowed to live!"
The Gods of Destruction echoed him one after another.
A wave of killing intent swept toward the fighters of Universe 6 and Universe 7 like blades.
Under the collective gaze of the Gods of Destruction, no one could remain truly calm.
But Goku, as usual, was different. He scratched his head, pure confusion written all over his face.
"Huh? Are these gods just… sore losers?"
"Pfft…" Whis chuckled softly. "Mr. Goku really does cut straight to the point."
The gods' faces tightened.
"Son Goku! You criminals stirred up conflict without regard for countless lives across the universes, pushing the cosmos toward annihilation. Your sins are unforgivable! And now you dare to insult and humiliate us to our faces—truly deserving of death!"
"But…" Goku looked honestly puzzled. "The one who can erase universes is Zeno, not me. Why don't you guys yell at Zeno?"
The gods nearly spat blood on the spot.
Was Son Goku missing a screw?
He was so blunt, so unfiltered, he was practically pointing at the Omni-King and saying you're the cause of all this.
And by extension… wouldn't the Grand Priest also share responsibility?
Levos silently applauded. So "Trashy Kakarot" really lived up to the reputation—this pit he dug was deep and beautifully placed.
Out of the corner of his eye, Levos thought the Grand Priest looked like he was about to split into a grin.
Levos snapped his head up.
He met a calm, perfectly composed face.
The Grand Priest even gave him a small nod.
Levos frowned. Did he smile or not?
Either way, Levos didn't have the energy to chase the answer.
Nine Gods of Destruction were pressing down with their divine presence, and resisting it was already a strain.
Beside him, Piccolo was drenched in sweat, trembling like some ancient fear carved into his soul had been reawakened.
The gods were kneeling and the mortals were standing, yet the oppressive divine auras flooded the arena from every direction, making Levos feel as if breathing itself had become difficult.
Puar clung to his arm, trembling.
Buu, on the other hand, looked perfectly relaxed—sitting on the ground and playing with clay, happily molding a little house.
Frieza lay on the floor as well, and like the Universe 6 fighters, he looked tense and on high alert, as if facing an oncoming disaster.
Goku's words had choked the gods for a moment.
After a long pause, someone finally forced the conversation forward.
"It is precisely because you sinners deceived and misled His Majesty that our universes have suffered this calamity!" Belmod's eyes gleamed with cold cruelty. "We must deliver judgment upon these criminals before all, to warn every mortal in every universe!"
Roh followed smoothly. "Yes. Record the judgment and spread it, so that every rebel who dares challenge divine authority will remember this day forever."
"Criminals? Rebels? That's an interesting way to put it…" Goku's expression suddenly turned serious. He raised his head. "Hey, Zeno… do you also think I'm evil?"
"Doesn't matter, Goku! We're friends!" Zeno shouted excitedly.
"Yeah. Friends." Goku smiled. "Then if I ask you not to erase the universes that lose… will you agree?"
The entire arena jolted.
No one expected Goku to say that.
In that instant, every accusation the gods had aimed at Universe 6 and 7 collapsed.
Whether Zeno agreed or refused, it was a killing blow to their argument.
The gods' bodies even began to tremble as they desperately scrambled in their minds for an excuse, a way to retreat.
Levos watched quietly, choosing not to interfere—just an observer waiting to see where the river would flow.
Zeno thought seriously for two seconds.
"Of course I can, Goku!"
So… every universe was saved just like that?
The gods' expressions turned complicated. They immediately slammed their foreheads to the ground in gratitude.
"His Majesty is wise!"
Zeno didn't react, his eyes still fixed on Goku.
"Goku, is that your request?"
"No!" Goku answered sharply.
And just like that, every god's heart leapt back into their throat.
"Damn you… you really should die, Son Goku!"
In that moment, nobody knew what Goku was planning.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Oh, you like the story? Wow, who knew. Go ahead, drop a review and throw some power stones maybe I'll be motivated to keep going.
"Want to stay ahead of the game?Advanced chapters are up on my Patron. If you're enjoying the ride, swing by and check them out."
[email protected]/_theon
Change @ to "a"