Inside Universe 7's observation room...
Beerus stood as still as a statue, his sharp eyes locked on the screen before him. The scene unfolding there had been burned into his memory forever.
For a long moment, the entire room was silent, save for his heavy breathing and steady heartbeat. He never imagined Piccolo would choose such a shocking way to end the battle, filling him with disbelief, confusion... and a deep sense of respect.
"Hey. What's that Namekian's name?"
At last, Beerus broke the suffocating silence, turning slowly toward Supreme Kai Shin, who stood behind him.
Shin was still frozen in place, eyes vacant and mouth slightly agape. The sacrifice he had just witnessed had shaken him to his core. Only a few days earlier on Earth, Piccolo had already accomplished one miracle after another, and now... he had once again done something no one could have imagined.
"Hey!"
When Shin still didn't answer, Beerus called out louder.
Startled, Shin finally snapped back to reality. Taking a deep breath to steady himself, he replied solemnly, "Piccolo. His name is Piccolo, Lord Beerus."
Beerus nodded slowly. "Piccolo... I'll remember that name."
He said nothing more, quietly staring back at the screen as if lost in thought.
After a brief hesitation, Shin spoke again. "Lord Beerus... if our universe wins in the end, we can use Earth's Dragon Balls to bring Piccolo back. I believe his sacrifice today will have been worth it."
Shin turned back toward the enormous screen, and the room fell silent once again.
Then... Whis suddenly frowned. The subtle change in his expression immediately shattered the solemn atmosphere.
"I think you're reaching conclusions a little too soon, Lord Beerus."
Beerus immediately looked over. "What do you mean, Whis? Are you saying... there's something else?"
Whis didn't answer right away. Instead, he slowly closed his eyes, and the room became so quiet that everyone could hear each other's breathing. A few moments later, the corners of Whis's mouth lifted into a subtle smile. He opened his eyes and spoke slowly.
"I can sense the aura... of a god."
"A god's aura?!" Beerus blurted out in disbelief.
Only beings of divine status possessed godly ki, and the sudden appearance of such an aura was enough to shock anyone.
Whis nodded. "That's right. It is indeed divine energy. And... if my senses are correct... it's coming from Piccolo."
"That's impossible," Beerus said, his eyes widening in disbelief. "How could Piccolo possess the aura of a god?"
His mind raced with questions. As far as he knew, Piccolo was certainly powerful, but nowhere near the level of possessing divine ki.
Immediately, Beerus closed his eyes and tried to sense the mysterious aura for himself, but he felt nothing.
"Whis. Why can't I sense it?"
"It's extremely faint, Lord Beerus," Whis replied. "To be honest, even I can only detect the slightest trace of it. It's incredibly weak, so if I hadn't been paying such close attention, I probably wouldn't have noticed it either."
Beerus rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
At that moment, Supreme Kai Shin, who had remained silent until now, finally seemed to piece something together. Sweat beaded on his forehead as he listened carefully to Whis, his brow furrowing as his mind raced through everything he knew about Namekians.
Then, a spark of inspiration flashed through his mind, and his eyes lit up.
"Mr. Whis," Shin said excitedly, "Namekians possess the ability to assimilate others of their race. Right now, Piccolo has assimilated two different Guardians of Earth. That could be the key! Perhaps the divine ki you're sensing belongs to Earth's Guardian. After all, Piccolo's aura has become incredibly complex because of those assimilations."
Whis raised an eyebrow with interest. "Earth's Guardian?"
He slowly closed his eyes again, focusing on the faint trace of divine ki. The room fell silent, and for a moment, it felt as though time itself had stopped. But this time... he sensed nothing. A slight frown appeared on his face.
After hearing Shin's explanation, Beerus finally relaxed a little. "Oh... So that's it..." He stroked his chin thoughtfully. The explanation wasn't perfect, but it eased some of his doubts.
Then, a realization suddenly struck him. Beerus's entire body stiffened, and his eyes flew open.
"Wait! Whis! If that's true... doesn't that mean... Piccolo isn't dead?"
He leaned forward, fists clenched tightly, desperately waiting for the answer.
Whis simply smiled, as though none of this surprised him. He casually brushed a strand of hair behind his ear before giving a gentle nod.
"That's correct, Lord Beerus. Piccolo is still alive."
(End Of This Chapter)
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