In the World of Void, this ethereal space where even concepts seemed blurred, two distinct yet equally terrifying divine ki signatures now filled the emptiness.
Whitley's gaze was burning as he locked onto Beerus, who was not far away.
His eyes were sharp, filled with pure battle intent and a hint of irrepressible excitement.
Finally! He could now fight an all-out Beerus!
He suppressed the excitement in his heart, lowered his body slightly, and sank his center of gravity into a ready stance.
Beerus on the other side was the same. He stood seemingly casually, but all the muscles in his body were tensed, having entered his optimal combat state.
His slender tail swayed unconsciously, like a hunter who had locked onto his prey!
They moved! Almost at the same instant, both of their bodies sprang into action!
At first, their speed was within a range that the naked eye could follow, like two distant comets slowly approaching each other.
But this "slowness" lasted for less than half a second!
The next moment, their speeds skyrocketed!
As if the fast-forward button had been pressed, their figures were instantly blurred and stretched! They transformed into two streaks of light—one silver-white, one deep purple—that tore through space and slammed into each other!
"BOOM!!!!!!!!!"
A colossal sound, as if it could shatter the heavens and the earth, suddenly exploded in the silent World of Void!
A terrifying shockwave spread out in visible ripples, violently crashing against the protective shield Whis had set up, causing it to ripple intensely!
Inside the shield, apart from Whis who still wore a smile, everyone else, including Goku and Vegeta, turned pale from the aftershock of just the first collision and subconsciously took half a step back.
"I... I can't see!" Krillin exclaimed in disbelief, rubbing his eyes hard.
Master Roshi adjusted his sunglasses, which had almost been shaken off, and said in a dry voice, "Is this... a battle between gods?"
At the epicenter of the massive explosion, the scene briefly became clear for an instant.
Whitley, with an extremely subtle and exquisite turn of his body, had narrowly dodged Beerus's heavy punch, which was imbued with the aura of destruction.
And his own body, as if it had a mind of its own, had already taken advantage of the minuscule opening and stiffness after his opponent's attack. In the instant he dodged, he delivered a vicious and swift elbow strike straight at Beerus's face!
"Heh!"
Beerus let out an ambiguous chuckle. His other hand shot up like lightning, firmly blocking the fierce elbow strike.
A dazzling shower of sparks erupted at the point of contact!
"Your Ultra Instinct realm... has indeed reached the entry-level, kid... these fluid movements are infuriating!"
Beerus said, but his actions never stopped.
Using the force of the block, he spun his body, and his powerful tail instantly tore through space, whipping towards Whitley's face with a piercing sound! "But it's a pity! Your absolute power and speed are both inferior to mine! So..."
Whitley's silver-white pupils were devoid of emotion.
Faced with this lightning-fast attack, it was as if his mind possessed the most sophisticated evasion system!
He leaned back sharply at the last possible moment, the deadly tip of the tail grazing the bridge of his nose!
At the same time, his right hand shot out like a flash, accurately grabbing Beerus's tail before he could retract it!
"Hmm?!"
The smile on Beerus's face froze, a trace of astonishment flashing in his eyes.
His tail... had been caught by this kid again?!
"Although my base power is indeed no match for yours!" Whitley's voice was calm and steady, but it carried an unparalleled confidence. "But it's a pity, Beerus. Your attacks... can't possibly hit me in my current state!"
Before his words faded, the arm gripping Beerus's tail suddenly exerted immense force!
"HAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!"
The silver-white aura around Whitley erupted like a supernova! A brilliant light instantly illuminated a large swath of the void!
His body turned into a pure, incandescent bolt of lightning. Grabbing Beerus's tail, he swung him around like a meteor hammer and slammed him into the distance!
"SWOOSH—!"
Beerus's figure was thrown like a purple meteor, drawing a long arc through the void.
He barely managed to stabilize himself in the far distance, his face filled with astonishment and a hint of shame-fueled anger.
Whitley didn't pause for a moment. His figure blurred again as he took the initiative to pursue!
Beerus shook his head, shaking off the slight embarrassment.
He looked at the charging Whitley, and instead of getting angry, he... closed his eyes?
"What... what is he planning to do?" Trunks asked subconsciously, his voice filled with uncertainty.
Whis chuckled lightly and explained, "Lord Beerus has felt the pressure from Whitley-san. He wants to use this opportunity to force a breakthrough in his own realm."
"What?!" Goku's mouth dropped open in disbelief. "He's using Whitley as a whetstone?! So cool!"
In the field, Whitley also instantly understood Beerus's intention.
His attacks landed on Beerus's body like a torrential storm, producing a series of dull thuds.
Beerus did not dodge, simply enduring the blows with his instincts and powerful physique. All his focus was on comprehending that profound realm. The purple aura on his body flickered, as if he was truly on the verge of a breakthrough.
Whitley's eyes hardened. A final heavy sidekick slammed into Beerus's crossed arms, once again sending him flying.
"You're actually using me as a free training partner and a whetstone?"
Whitley almost laughed in anger. Since when had he, Whitley, been "used" like this?
In the distance, Beerus stopped and slowly opened his eyes, a hint of regret in them. He was still a little bit short of a breakthrough.
He didn't say much, just beckoned to Whitley with a slightly provocative finger.
The meaning was clear—Again!
"Fine! As you wish!"
Whitley's eyes narrowed. He was no longer holding back.
The silver-white radiance around him intensified, and his speed and power surged again!
A storm of attacks rained down on Beerus! Each blow contained enough terrifying power to easily shatter the Earth!
Beerus also finally got completely serious.
He understood that if he continued to immerse himself in comprehension without defending at all... he would likely suffer considerable injuries!
He snapped his eyes open, his scarlet pupils boiling with fighting spirit, and he too charged forward with unparalleled ferocity!
BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM!!!!
The two completely abandoned evasion and began the most primitive and ferocious head-on clash!
Every collision of their fists and feet produced a deafening roar and a devastating energy shockwave!
The eternally silent World of Void seemed to have turned into a primeval battlefield, filled with continuous explosions and flashes of light!
Whitley began to feel the pressure.
His "Ultra Instinct" allowed him to perfectly perceive and evade most attacks, and to accurately find openings for counters!
But Beerus's tactic of completely abandoning defense and trading injury for injury greatly compressed his reaction space.
His absolute speed and power were, after all, slightly inferior, and his margin for error was far lower than Beerus's.
He had to change his strategy!
He shifted from a wild offense to a more cautious style of blocking and weaving. The silver-white figure moved like a phantom through Beerus's violent purple storm, only launching a world-shaking blow when a fleeting, perfect opportunity appeared!
Bang!
After another exquisite dodge, Whitley seized the small opening after one of Beerus's heavy punches missed, and a precise uppercut slammed into the chin of the unprepared Beerus!
"Ugh!"
Beerus let out a muffled grunt, his body uncontrollably tilting backward.
An opening!
Whitley's hands moved rapidly, and in an instant, thousands of terrifyingly powerful ki blasts appeared out of thin air like a storm!
The dense barrage of ki blasts filled a large area of space! Then, as if they had a life of their own, they bombarded the off-balance Beerus!
"Hmph! It's just a technique with a lot of ki blasts!"
Inside the protective shield, although Vegeta was deeply shocked by the scene, he still commented with disdain.
"Did you see that, Vegeta! Whitley is so strong! That Lord Beerus is actually at a disadvantage!"
Goku, on the other hand, was so excited he was practically dancing, slinging an arm over Vegeta's shoulder and shaking him vigorously.
Vegeta was so mesmerized by the fight that he even forgot to shake off Goku's hand.
Beerus, targeted by countless ki blasts, finally dropped his last bit of disdain.
He shielded his front with his arms, and his purple aura erupted like a volcano, deflecting or shattering the incoming ki blasts. The light from the explosions completely engulfed him!
BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM—!!!
The continuous explosions shook the entire World of Void!
When the aftershocks of the explosions subsided slightly, revealing Beerus's slightly disheveled figure, the two of them stopped their movements simultaneously, panting slightly as they looked at each other.
After that round of cataclysmic offense, their auras had not weakened. Instead, they had become even more condensed, like tempered steel!
The deep purple power of destruction and the silver-white ki of Ultra Instinct stood in opposition in the void, pressing against each other like two ancient beasts preparing to pounce.
"The warm-up is about over," Beerus said stubbornly, cracking his neck.
"Yeah, I'm just getting started," Whitley retorted with a disdainful curve of his lips. Two can play at that game!
The next moment, their figures vanished again!
This time, their battle entered another level!
It was no longer a clash of wide-open power, but a duel of extreme speed and exquisite skill!
Their movements were so fast that they were just a blur of afterimages. Every exchange happened in the blink of an eye, but the danger was far greater than before!
In a fierce close-quarters struggle, Whitley feinted, and a searing ki blast shot from his hand towards Beerus.
Beerus casually slapped it away.
The moment the ki blast veered off course—
Swoosh!
Whitley's figure vanished from thin air!
The next second, he appeared in Beerus's blind spot, his hands crossed over his chest.
A highly condensed "White Hot Flash," shimmering with incandescent light, was already prepared and shot silently towards Beerus's back!
"He got him?!" Krillin shouted in delight.
However, at that critical moment, Beerus reacted instantly!
His body twisted at an impossible angle, like a stream of water, and his left hand, covered in thick purple destruction energy, accurately clamped down on the deadly "White Hot Flash"!
"You're too naive, Whitley!"
Beerus laughed loudly. A deep purple energy sphere, which had already formed in his other hand, was unhesitatingly pressed towards the close-range Whitley!
Whitley's pupils contracted. Damn it, he thought, I forgot this guy is a cat!
He instantly abandoned the trapped technique. With a powerful twist of his waist, his body instinctively bent backward into a bridge, narrowly avoiding the destructive energy sphere that grazed his face.
But he did not retreat. Instead, he used the momentum of his backbend to kick off the void, his body shooting upwards towards Beerus like an arrow!
"Heh, trying to run?!" Beerus shouted and immediately gave chase!
One after the other, they rushed into the deeper void.
Following that, an even more spectacular and deadly duel unfolded!
Countless purple spheres of destruction and silver-white ki blasts rained down from their hands, crazily colliding and exploding!
For a time, the entire dim World of Void was lit up by countless brilliant, firework-like halos!
The deafening explosions were incessant. It was as if the spectators were watching a grand, cosmic-level fireworks show!
Except that each "firework" contained enough terrifying energy to instantly vaporize a solar system!
The spectators within the protective shield were mesmerized by this scene of destructive beauty.
As for Vegeta, his heart was already in turmoil.
In his deeply ingrained perception, the God of Destruction, Beerus, was an invincible being in the universe!
But today, he had witnessed this supreme being in a battle with another Saiyan... fighting on equal terms?!
Although he was unwilling to admit it, the shock was real.
He finally came to his senses and disgustedly shook off Goku's arm, which was still draped over his shoulder. "You're noisy, Kakarot! Let go of me!"
Just then, a massive energy shockwave from another fierce clash between Whitley and Beerus turned into a gale. After being weakened by Whis's shield, it blew across the spectators.
"Achoo!"
Launch, standing not far from Vegeta, got her hair blown by the strong wind and sneezed.
The next second, under the horrified gazes of Krillin and the others, her smooth blue hair instantly turned a dazzling gold!
Her eyes also changed from gentle and timid to fierce and sharp!
"Hmm?!"
Vegeta was instantly drawn to this sudden change. He sensed the instantaneous shift in Launch's ki. Although it was very weak, he still blurted out, "Super Saiyan?!"
The blonde Launch was currently annoyed by the wind. She rubbed her nose and cursed, "Damn it, where the hell am I?! Where's my motorcycle?!"
Suddenly hearing someone speak, she turned her head unhappily towards Vegeta, her hands on her hips as she said arrogantly, "Huh?! Are you from another gang looking for trouble?!"
Vegeta carefully sensed her ki and found that this woman's aura was not the violent energy of a Super Saiyan at all. In fact, it was pitifully weak, with a battle power that probably didn't even reach ten.
He instantly felt that his earlier judgment was incredibly stupid!
He let out a heavy snort and turned away, no longer bothering with this strange woman.
This was too embarrassing!
However, the blonde Launch became interested in this arrogant shorty.
She looked Vegeta up and down, then moved a few steps closer with a mocking smile. "Hey! What's with you, shorty? Just a snort and that's it? Are you shy because you saw how pretty I am? Ooh~! Don't worry, I won't laugh at your short stature! Hahahaha!"
As she spoke, she actually started slapping her thigh and laughing loudly.
"You...!"
Several veins popped on Vegeta's forehead, and his face visibly flushed red.
When had he, Vegeta, the Prince of Saiyans, ever been so humiliated?! Especially being laughed at for his height by an Earth woman with a single-digit battle power!
He suppressed the urge to strike, his teeth grinding together.
But Launch's uninhibited "hahaha" laughter was like a demonic sound, constantly testing his fragile nerves.
Finally—snap!
The string in his mind called "reason" completely broke!
"GO TO HELL!!!"
Vegeta spun around, his eyes spitting fire at the blonde Launch. He aimed a palm at her, and a dangerous golden ki blast instantly formed in his hand!
"Hey! Vegeta! Calm down!"
Goku was shocked and rushed forward to stop him.
But the enraged Vegeta was extremely fast, and the ki blast was about to be fired!
At that critical moment, Goku grabbed Vegeta's wrist and yanked it upward!
SWOOSH—BOOM!!!
The golden ki blast grazed the tip of blonde Launch's hair and shot into the protective shield above, causing it to ripple slightly.
Only then did Krillin and Master Roshi react, breaking out in a cold sweat.
They had almost been killed by Launch's careless words and Vegeta's explosive temper!
"Calm down, Vegeta! Are you trying to kill her?! Whitley will definitely get angry if you do that!"
Goku held onto Vegeta's wrist tightly, still shaken, and tried to persuade him.
Vegeta violently shook off Goku's hand, his cold killing intent locking onto Goku. His tone was icy. "Since you want to stop me from killing that stupid woman... then, Kakarot, let me see if you have the right to stop me!!!"
Before his words faded, his golden aura exploded, and he instantly transformed into a Super Saiyan!
He shot out of Whis's protective shield and hovered in the void outside, beckoning to Goku with his finger. "Come on, Kakarot! Let me see what decent things you learned on that trash planet!"
Goku was stunned for a moment, then an expression of extreme excitement and fighting spirit appeared on his face. "Alright! I was just wondering how much stronger you've gotten too!"
He also instantly transformed into a Super Saiyan, his golden aura shooting into the sky as he charged towards Vegeta. "Then I won't hold back! Hah!"
The two of them instantly clashed outside, their golden auras colliding, producing a series of roars.
Inside the protective shield, the blonde Launch, who had almost been sent to the next life by a ki blast, finally realized she had just walked through the gates of hell.
She first turned pale with fright, then a boundless anger surged up.
She angrily looked at Vegeta, who was fighting fiercely with Goku, and was about to curse him out, but when her gaze fell on the short figure weaving through the golden aura, his movements sharp and domineering, his face stern, the curse words suddenly got stuck in her throat.
Deep inside her, a strange feeling she had never experienced before quietly began to sprout.
"That guy..."
Launch looked at Vegeta's arrogant demeanor despite his short stature, and his absurdly high power level. The anger in her eyes gradually dissipated without her noticing.
In its place was a mixture of curiosity, surprise, and a hint of... admiration?
"...Although he's a bit short, and his temper is as foul as a toilet stone, but... but he's actually... kind of handsome? And he's so fierce when he fights..."
Trunks was currently watching his young father and the blonde girl who was looking at his father with that kind of expression, feeling a great sense of absurdity and confusion. 'Why... why is that auntie named Launch looking at Dad... first with anger, and then it slowly changed... to look like how Mom sometimes looks when she remembers Dad? What on earth happened in between?'
Trunks was lost in deep thought, feeling that the interpersonal relationships of this era were even harder to understand than the apocalyptic crisis he faced.
For a time, the World of Void was in complete chaos.
On one side was the universe-shaking divine showdown between Whitley and Beerus, with brilliant lights and surging energy.
On the other side was the fierce battle between the two Super Saiyans, Goku and Vegeta, with golden lights clashing and ki waves rolling.
And then there were the spectators inside the shield, all with different expressions and thoughts.
The scene was truly lively.
"HAH!!!"
After forcing Beerus back several dozen meters with another heavy punch, Whitley himself couldn't help but start panting.
Maintaining "Ultra Instinct" for such a long time and engaging in such a high-intensity battle was a huge drain on his stamina and spirit.
The silver-white aura around him seemed to have dimmed a little.
Beerus stabilized himself, wiped a trace of blood from the corner of his mouth, and instead showed a hearty and somewhat mocking smile. "Hoh? Your stamina is about to give out, isn't it, kid? I admit you're strong, you could even say you're about to catch up to me!"
He slowly raised his hand, and a deep, dark purple destruction energy began to gather madly in his palm, like a black hole exuding a desperate and terrifying aura.
The energy grew larger and more condensed, and the pressure it emitted made even Goku and Vegeta, who were fighting in the distance, stop and look over in horror.
"But!"
Beerus's tone suddenly became incredibly majestic, and he declared, word by word, "You are not my opponent yet! Even if your 'Ultra Instinct' is entry-level, it's not enough!!! Use all your strength to take this next attack!!"
Whitley looked at the terrifying energy in Beerus's hand, which was enough to easily annihilate several star systems, and took a deep breath.
A brilliant smile appeared on his tired face. "Yeah... right now, I'm really not your opponent."
He admitted it frankly.
At the same time, he also slowly brought his hands to his front.
On his arms, the silver-white ki and wisps of dark purple destruction energy began to intertwine and wrap around each other, finally condensing in his palms into a rapidly rotating energy core that was being continuously compressed.
Unlike Beerus's pure, all-consuming deep purple destruction power, the core of Whitley's destruction power was flashing with a highly condensed, searing white light that seemed to be able to ignite everything!
"Since you've used your true destruction energy..." Whitley's voice came through the roar of the energy. "Then I have no choice but to return the favor with 'that move' combined with destruction energy!"
Beerus saw the strange energy in Whitley's hand, a white and purple intertwining with an incandescent white core, and a hint of surprise and intense curiosity flashed in his eyes. "Your destruction energy... why is its form so stra..."
At the moment he was distracted by his question—
"An opening!"
A sharp glint flashed in Whitley's eyes, and he suddenly let out a loud shout, "SOLAR FLARE!!!!"
VMMMM—!!!
As if a sun had suddenly risen in the World of Void! An incredibly intense and dazzling golden light burst from the back of Whitley's head!
The light was so sudden, so fierce. The unsuspecting Beerus, who had been concentrating on observing the strange energy in Whitley's hand, had his eyes instantly overwhelmed by the strong light!
"AAAAAH! My eyes! You bastard!!!!!"
Beerus let out a furious and pained scream, tears instantly streaming down his face!
He subconsciously squeezed his eyes shut, and his movements were even distorted for a moment. "You pulled this trick in our first meeting! And you're doing it again now?! You despicable dog!!!"
Although his eyes were temporarily blind, his combat instincts were still there. Feeling the massive energy he had gathered about to go out of control, he relied on his senses and his lock on Whitley's ki to forcefully push the massive deep purple sphere of destruction towards Whitley!
"Die, you brat!! HAKAI!!!!!"
"Haha! All's fair in war!"
Whitley suppressed his laughter. Faced with the overwhelming torrent of destructive energy, he did not dodge, but pushed the shockwave in his hand—the one with the incandescent white core and wrapped in purple destruction energy—forward with all his might!
"DESTRUCTION—FLASH!!! HAH!!!!!!"
One deep purple, one white-and-purple intertwined! Two terrifying energies, similar in nature yet not entirely the same, crashed in the center of the World of Void like two roaring galactic beasts!
VMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM—
An indescribable roar seemed to tear everyone's eardrums! An indescribable light instantly swallowed everything!
The entire World of Void trembled violently, as if it could not withstand the collision of this destructive force! A terrifying energy storm swept out in all directions like a tsunami!
The protective shield that Whis had casually set up let out a groan, and cracks instantly covered its surface, looking like it was about to shatter!
"Yare yare~"
Whis chuckled helplessly. He tapped his staff again, and a soft light enveloped the collapsing shield, instantly stabilizing it. "It's a good thing this match is in the World of Void. If this were in any of the star systems in Universe 7, the Supreme Kai would probably be crying his eyes out right now."
Inside the shield, everyone was so shocked by this cataclysmic scene, which was like the beginning of the universe, that they were rendered speechless.
They all stood with their mouths agape, staring blankly at the sea of light formed by the energy explosion, which was capable of annihilating everything.
Even Goku and Vegeta, who had just been fighting to the death, felt their own insignificance in the face of this god-like power and chose to stop fighting.
Goku reacted and grabbed Vegeta, quickly using Instant Transmission to return inside the shield, patting his chest with lingering fear. "That was close, that was close! We almost died for real!"
Vegeta, however, said nothing. He just stared deadly at the center of the collision, his fists clenched unconsciously.
His pride as the Prince of Saiyans was, at this moment, shattered by the unimaginable power before his eyes!
He, Vegeta, was still far, far too weak in front of these two.
The blonde Launch had walked up to Vegeta at some point. Seeing his tense profile and clenched fists, she asked in a rare, not-so-fierce tone, "Hey... are you, are you okay?"
Instantly, the nearby Master Roshi, Krillin, and even Trunks turned their heads to look at the blonde Launch as if they had seen a ghost, their eyes full of disbelief.
Vegeta was taken aback by this sudden concern. He glanced at the blonde Launch beside him and let out an ambiguous "Hmph!" from his nose.
Then he couldn't be bothered with her anymore and continued to focus his attention on the battlefield.
But his clenched fists seemed to have loosened slightly...
The clash and annihilation of energy continued, but gradually, the situation began to become clear!
Whitley's "Destruction Flash" with its incandescent white core was actually beginning to tear through and penetrate Beerus's pure, deep purple "Hakai" energy torrent!
The gleam of white light grew brighter and brighter, finally breaking through the obstruction ahead!
It turned into a torrent of incandescent white energy and shot towards Beerus, who was temporarily blind from the strong light and whose senses were also interfered with!
"What?!"
Although Beerus couldn't see the situation, he could clearly feel the deadly, scorching energy that threatened his very being.
A look of disbelief appeared on his face.
He, the God of Destruction, Beerus! In a head-on clash of pure destruction energy... had actually lost?!
And to a candidate God of Destruction?! How was this possible?!
He stood stunned, feeling the whistling incandescent torrent, his mind even going blank for a moment.
At this decisive moment—
As if a movie had been paused, the "Destruction Flash," which was enough to injure Beerus, abruptly vanished without a trace just a hair's breadth away from him, as if erased by an eraser.
At the same time, Whis's gentle and clear voice resounded calmly through the subsiding energy aftershocks:
"This match is now over! The winner of this match is—Whitley-san."
Silence!
A deathly silence enveloped the World of Void, which had just experienced a storm of destruction.
The silver-white aura around Whitley receded like a tide, revealing his somewhat pale face.
He was panting heavily, his forehead covered in beads of sweat. It was clear that the last attack had almost drained all his strength.
But at this moment, a brilliant smile, full of a sense of accomplishment, slowly bloomed on his face.
He won!
He finally won!
Although he used a trick, although his stamina was almost depleted, but...
In the end, he was the one who won!
This guy Beerus... is ridiculously strong!
The strong light in Beerus's eyes gradually faded, and his vision began to recover.
He stood there, stunned, looking at the empty void in front of him, then down at his own hands that had just launched the attack. His face was filled with bewilderment and disbelief.
And a hint of... grievance at being sneak-attacked?
He lost?
He, the mighty God of Destruction of Universe 7, Beerus, had actually... really lost?
It took a full ten seconds before Beerus seemed to have finally digested this fact.
He shot his head up, and his figure flashed, instantly appearing in front of Whitley.
Whitley immediately became vigilant, preparing to deal with Beerus's retaliation after his angry outburst.
However, Beerus just stared at him with an incredibly complex expression, a mixture of gratification, admiration, annoyance, unwillingness, and a barely perceptible trace of... respect? (The pie chart is here.)
After a long while, he finally squeezed out a sentence through gritted teeth: "...You cunning little brat."
Hearing this, Whitley finally relaxed completely. He laughed heartily and straightened his back, accepting the "compliment" frankly. "Thank you for the praise, Lord Beerus."
Beerus let out an annoyed "Hmph!" and walked up, patting Whitley's shoulder not too lightly and not too heavily. He said in an incredibly complex tone, "This match... I lost. I lost to your damn Solar Flare!!! But... if you want to get rid of that 'candidate' title and officially take over the position of God of Destruction, you can tell me anytime, kid."
After speaking, as if afraid that Whitley would agree immediately, he turned and flew towards Whis without looking back.
He left behind only a slightly tsundere-like purple back.
Whitley stood there, mulling over Beerus's words. After a moment, he couldn't help but laugh—
Did Beerus think that just because he won, he would want his position?
He also flew back to the group and said to the sulking Beerus, "Hey, Beerus, you're overthinking it. You can keep your seat as the God of Destruction. I'm not interested anyway."
"Hmm?"
Beerus whipped his head around, a look of astonishment on his face. "What do you mean? Don't you know that the God of Destruction is the most powerful and revered being in the universe..."
Whitley didn't argue, just smiled and slowly raised a finger, pointing to the elegantly smiling Whis nearby.
"..."
Beerus was instantly at a loss for words, the rest of his sentence stuck in his throat.
Right, with a guy like this around, who is unfathomably deep even if he can't act freely...
The God of Destruction... doesn't seem so "most" powerful and revered after all.
He closed his mouth, somewhat dejected.
"Hubby!!! You were amazing!!"
Bulma didn't care about who was a God of Destruction or not. She cheered and excitedly threw herself into Whitley's arms, happily rubbing against his chest, not minding his sweat and fatigue at all.
Whitley held Bulma, a truly gentle and relaxed smile on his face. He gently stroked her soft, short blue hair and said softly, "Were you scared?"
"Not at all! I knew you would win!" Bulma looked up, her eyes shining with pride.
Trunks stood to the side, watching the intimate interaction between his young mother and the incredibly powerful man with mixed feelings.
But in the end, it all turned into a silent sigh. He didn't know what expression to make.
"Whoa! You're so awesome, Whitley! You even beat Lord Beerus!"
Goku rushed up excitedly, jumping and shouting around Whitley. "Come on, come on! Let's have a match too! Let me see how big the gap is between us now!"
Krillin and Master Roshi also gathered around, congratulating and expressing their amazement to Whitley.
Whitley, holding Bulma, decisively refused Goku's invitation to fight. "Not today, I'm exhausted. If you want a fight, go find Vegeta. I can see he's bottling up a lot of anger."
Are you kidding? After an all-out fight with a God of Destruction, who has the energy to play with a small fry like you.
Hearing Whitley's words, Vegeta just let out a cold snort and turned his head away with his arms crossed, but deep in his eyes, the shock and contemplation from the battle of gods still lingered.
Whis watched his disciple with a smile, a hint of imperceptible emotion in his eyes.
Who would have thought that this disciple he had casually taken on a few years ago for the sake of Earth's delicacies would have grown to the point of being able to defeat an official God of Destruction in such a short time?
Although... this victory was full of Whitley-style cunning and unexpectedness.
Beerus, on the other hand, was stroking his chin, secretly making up his mind: Next time I spar with Whitley, I have to prepare a pair of sunglasses in advance! Good quality ones! This kid uses the Solar Flare at the drop of a hat, it's just too despicable!
He rubbed his rumbling stomach, feeling that he had expended a lot of energy just now. He turned to Whis and asked, "Whis, what time is it? Isn't it time for dinner?"
Whis came back to his senses, his face wearing his usual teasing smile. "Oh my~ Lord Beerus, you've just experienced a defeat, and your stomach is already hungry?"
Beerus: "..."
He couldn't even refute it!
After all, if you're not enthusiastic about eating, there's a problem with your thinking! Even if he lost a match, he couldn't just skip a meal, right?
Whis smiled and tapped his staff. An exit leading to the outside world immediately appeared in the World of Void.
Everyone, chatting and laughing, passed through the passage Whis had opened back to Earth, and returned to the front yard of the Briefs' estate.
Everyone stood in the yard of the Briefs' estate, eagerly discussing the grand showdown of the day.
And what followed was the long-awaited sumptuous dinner.
The epic battle in the World of Void had finally come to an end.
The victor of today's showdown, the peak battle between Whitley and Beerus, was Whitley, who had won by surprise!!
And... inexplicably, it seemed that... Vegeta... had won a girl's favor?!
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