This was the exact location where Gran's fist had struck—the very spot where Quitela had been obliterated.
In this moment, the void began to warp and distort beyond recognition, until a jagged rift in space-time tore open across the emptiness.
Whoosh!
A temporal storm raged within the fissure, its terrifying suction dragging Gran inside in an instant. It all happened far too quickly.
The Angels, including Vados, were so preoccupied with the awe of Gran's new form and overwhelming power that they failed to react in time. By the time they realized what was happening, Gran had already been swallowed by the rift.
"Oh no! I forgot that power at the Angel Level is enough to shatter the walls of space-time!" Margarita's eyes widened in shock.
"Sister, Gran's been pulled in! What do we do?" Vados asked, her voice laced with panic. Gran was Whis's prized student; if she, as the eldest sister present, failed to look after him, Whis would never forgive her.
Even beyond that, she had long wanted to take Gran as her own disciple—she truly couldn't bear to see him come to harm.
Without a word, the young Angel Cus swung her staff.
"Temporal Do-Over!"
Rumble!
Cus's power forcibly dragged back the river of time. The recently deceased Quitela popped back into existence, but Gran was still nowhere to be found.
"Darn it! I was too late. Gran has already entered the space-time turbulence; I can't pull him back!" Cus retracted her staff, a dark expression clouding her youthful face.
Upon hearing this, the Old Supreme Kai fainted on the spot, caught only by Shin's frantic arms. Beerus clenched his fists so hard they shook. He never imagined a victory would end like this. How could this happen just when Gran had won?
The other Supreme Kais began to realize the gravity of the situation. Gran had been sucked into the temporal void—what a tragedy. The space-time turbulence is a chaotic vortex between dimensions; it is a place so dangerous that even those with the strength of a God of Destruction struggle to survive.
While Gran certainly had the power to endure the environment, the turbulence was a literal maze with no beginning and no end. If you fall in, you might get lucky and be spat out into another timeline. If your luck is poor, you could be trapped there for eternity.
"Hahaha! Sucked into the turbulence? Serves him right!"
Unlike the other gods, Giin, the God of Destruction of Universe 12, couldn't help but feel a surge of secret delight. So what if your talent is unmatched? So what if your power is terrifying? Your luck has run out, and now you're trapped forever!
Suddenly, Champa shoved his Supreme Kai, Fuwa, and roared, "Hurry up! Give me your Time Ring! I'm going in to save Gran!"
Time Rings are tools used by Supreme Kais to travel to the future and observe the flow of history, but they can also be used to traverse different timelines—much like how Zamasu had utilized them in the past.
"Have you lost your mind?" Beerus grabbed Champa by the collar, his voice a low growl. "Using a Time Ring to interfere with timelines is a supreme taboo. As a Destroyer, don't you understand the consequences?"
In that moment, it was clear that Champa was incredibly loyal. He was willing to commit a high crime against the laws of the multiverse for Gran's sake.
"I've lost my mind? You're the one who's crazy!" Champa shoved Beerus back, his teeth bared. "Gran is your candidate! He's been sucked into a void, and instead of trying to save him, you're standing here shouting at me?!"
"Who said I wasn't going to save him?" Beerus sighed heavily. "I'll go. You stay here."
"You..." Champa started to speak, but he went quiet, lowering his head and clenching his fists.
Beerus ignored him and shook the Old Supreme Kai awake. "Give me the Time Ring. I'm bringing Gran back."
"Lord Beerus, you..." The Old Supreme Kai didn't argue. He handed over the Time Ring and one of his Potara earrings. Only a Supreme Kai can technically operate a Time Ring; wearing a Potara earring grants the user the necessary authority and status to bypass that restriction.
As Beerus prepared to make the jump through time, the other Gods of Destruction remained silent. First, they were terrified of Beerus. Second, they weren't on friendly terms with him; if Beerus went looking for Gran and got lost himself, it would be a win for them. Third, even if he succeeded, traveling through time is a grave offense—Grand Zeno would surely punish him. They had no reason to stop him.
The Angels also remained silent, secretly hoping Beerus would succeed. As for potential punishment, they knew how much the Grand Priest and Grand Zeno valued Gran; they suspected Beerus would be given a pass.
"I'm off."
Just as Beerus was about to depart, a small figure descended from the heavens. It was the Grand Priest, arriving directly from the palace.
"Grand Priest! Beerus is trying to travel through time! He's about to commit a supreme taboo! Destroy him!"
A voice shrieked through the void. It was Quitela. He had been brought back to life by Cus's earlier "Temporal Do-Over," and he wasted no time trying to snitch.
"Noisy," the Grand Priest muttered. He spared a single glance at the revived rat and swiped his hand through the air.
The sheer divine force manifested as a colossal palm in the void, and Quitela was instantly slapped into nothingness—his soul and body completely erased.
Silence.
The void became deathly quiet. None of the Destroyers expected the Grand Priest to execute Quitela so casually. The Angels weren't as surprised; they knew exactly how high Gran stood in their father's eyes.
Beerus, sensing the opening, called out, "Grand Priest! Gran has been sucked into the space-time turbulence!"
"Yes, I saw."
The Grand Priest surveyed the area. In addition to Universe 6 being shattered, Universes 5 and 7 had also been caught in the crossfire. He gave a small wave of his hand, and a wave of restorative power surged outward. Under his mystical influence, the three vanishing universes were instantly restored to their former glory. Even the scattered Super Dragon Balls were returned to their rightful places in the cosmos.
The starry sky returned to a state of serene peace, as if the earth-shattering battle had never taken place. Just then, two more streaks of rainbow light descended from above. It was Whis, Broly, and Cognac returning from the World of Void.
"Lord Beerus, what happened? I felt a corner of space-time shatter. And where is Gran? Where did he go?" Whis asked frantically the moment he landed.
Seeing his attendant had returned, Beerus found his composure and explained everything. When Whis and Cognac heard that Gran's power had reached the Angel Level, it was like a thunderclap went off in their minds.
"Good heavens!" Cognac swallowed hard, looking around the restored space. "No wonder Lord Quitela was defeated, and space-time was torn apart. That little guy actually reached the Angel Level!"
"Gran, you've really done it..." Whis clenched his staff, a proud smile spreading across his face. But then Beerus delivered the news that Gran had been lost in the turbulence.
"What?" Whis's eyes went wide. He looked at Margarita and Vados, and then at his eldest sister, Cus. The Angels all looked away guiltily, unable to meet his eyes. "You guys..."
"Father, Gran is..." Whis turned to the Grand Priest, but he was interrupted.
"Chronoa took him. You don't need to worry about him. Disperse."
The Grand Priest glanced at the Time Ring in Beerus's hand and the Potara earring on his ear, his lips twitching slightly. This cat is truly bold. Without another word, he transformed into a pillar of light and vanished.
Peace returned to the Universe 6 sector. The words of the Grand Priest echoed in the minds of the deities. Taken by Chronoa?
Chronoa, the Supreme Kai of Time, was the right hand of the King of Time. Her responsibility was to monitor the history of all timelines. While her raw combat power might not be elite, traversing space-time was as natural to her as breathing. Unlike others, her travel was entirely legal.
"Right! I completely forgot about Chronoa!" The Old Supreme Kai, who was an old acquaintance of hers, felt his mood shift from despair to pure relief.
"It seems that little girl was watching us for quite a while," Beerus noted. He hadn't sensed her presence, but that was to be expected. As the warden of time, she could hide within the folds of history itself; even Angels find her difficult to detect if she doesn't want to be seen.
"Since the Grand Priest said so, Gran will surely return on his own eventually." Beerus removed the Time Ring and the Potara earring, tossing them back to the Old Supreme Kai.
"Yes." The Old Kai caught them, exhaling a long sigh of relief.
"Fantastic!" Champa and Fuwa cheered.
Even the Destroyers of Universes 1, 9, 10, and 11—Iwan, Sidra, Rumsshi, and Belmod—allowed faint smiles to cross their faces. They had a lingering fondness for Gran because, during the earlier battle royale, Gran had spared their candidates from destruction.
The remaining Destroyers, however, were less than thrilled. They were frustrated by Universe 7's incredible luck. It seemed the rise of Universe 7 was truly unstoppable.
They also couldn't stop thinking about how the Grand Priest had just swatted Quitela out of existence. Technically, Quitela's fight with Gran hadn't violated any of Zeno's direct orders. Was he killed because the fight damaged three universes? If so, why was only Quitela punished? The Gods of Destruction stood in deep thought, their expressions filled with confusion and unease.
"The fight is over, and the show is done. Now, all of you—get lost!" Champa suddenly barked at the gathered gods.
"Get lost? Is this how you treat your guests, Champa?" Heles, the Goddess of Universe 2, asked coldly.
"Sorry, we never considered you guests. So, get out!" Beerus added, crossing his arms with a chilling gaze.
The other Destroyers wanted to argue, but they quickly shut their mouths. Beerus had just reached a new level of power; if he went on a rampage, no one there could stop him. Better not to provoke him. The gods quickly signaled their Angels to take them home. They needed to train—at this rate, they wouldn't even be able to see Beerus's dust.
Flash! Flash!
Ten streaks of light shot into the sky, leaving only Beerus, Champa, and their groups behind.
"So... so strong! Gran actually reached the Angel Level! He's incredible!" Champa, no longer worried about Gran's safety, flew around excitedly in the starry sky.
Beerus crossed his arms and tilted his chin up arrogantly. "Hmph! Of course he is. Look, whose candidate he is!"
Champa flew up to his brother, sized him up, and curled his lip. "Your candidate has already surpassed you, and you're still bragging?"
"You..." Beerus's chest heaved with annoyance, then he smirked. "So what if he surpassed me? Even if he surpasses Whis, he's still my candidate."
Those words hit Champa right in the ego, reminding him of his failed attempt to "kidnap" Gran years ago. If he had succeeded, Gran would be his candidate right now!
"Beerus, you jerk!" Champa fumed.
"Hahaha! Still trying to get under my skin?"
"I don't care! The battle royale is over, and I'm declaring Gran as the Candidate God of Destruction for Universe 6 as well!"
"You think you can just decide that? You have to ask Gran if he agrees first!"
"Hmph! I don't need his permission! From now on, wherever I go, that's what I'll say. I'm unilaterally declaring him as my candidate too!"
Hearing Champa's shamelessness, Beerus actually laughed. He didn't push the issue. Having Gran represent both Universe 6 and Universe 7 would probably benefit everyone. After all, the fat cat had just been willing to commit a supreme crime for Gran's sake; Gran probably owed him a favor anyway.
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