"Um! Do we really have to take this test? Is there any point to this?" Goku asked.
"Didn't I already explain? I simply need to verify that your intellects are within normal parameters. I can hardly allow individuals with cognitive deficiencies to engage in combat. What if you were to accidentally injure the spectators or damage Null Realm itself?
"Lord Champa is hosting this tournament, so I must ensure everything is conducted responsibly," Vados, the Angel of the Sixth Universe, said with a sinister smile.
This smile made Axis feel thoroughly uncomfortable. Even though she was an Angel, that expression looked more like that of a warp daemon. In the original stories, this female Angel was known for her manipulative streak, constantly pranking her own chubby cat of a Destroyer.
Whis from the Seventh Universe was much better in comparison; aside from his obsession with cuisine, he wasn't really one to scheme against people.
"Elder Sister! As long as you are happy. Everyone, let us begin quickly. The questions are not difficult; as long as your intelligence is somewhat normal, you should get them right," Whis said.
As her brother, he naturally understood his sister's wicked sense of humor. Honestly, did she have to torment the people from his universe too?
"You only need to answer fifty percent of the questions correctly. Don't tell me you can't even manage that," Vados stated.
Axis sneered. He casually picked up a pen, and to everyone's astonishment, completed the entire exam in less than ten seconds.
Kratos finished in the exact same amount of time.
They had to be joking. Did anyone think an Imperial Primarch was biologically simple? During his childhood, while Axis was still undergoing the Emperor's genetic augmentation, he had spent over thirty years studying in a psychic virtual space with Malcador the Sigillite.
This curriculum included the history of various nations, cosmic knowledge, and extensive artistic training.
Axis's early education was entirely modeled after the Adeptus Custodes. If one assumed these golden giants were merely skilled at fighting, they were gravely mistaken. In terms of culture and intellect, they were qualified to be scientists, philosophers, or artists.
It was Tarasha Euten of Macragge who had raised Kratos. In his early youth, she had taught Kratos all manner of noble etiquette.
Even during the Great Crusade, Macragge was one of humanity's most prosperous worlds, possessing a profound cultural heritage. Later, he was personally taken in by the Emperor for tutelage and subsequently sent to Magnus the Red's Planet of Sorcerers for further training.
Therefore, these elementary questions were ridiculously simple for the father and son duo.
"How impressive. One hundred percent correct. It seems I underestimated the people of the Seventh Universe. You others had better do your best," Vados said as she stepped forward, picked up their papers, and checked them.
She had not expected such cultured individuals to exist in this universe. Although the questions were not hard, considering the typical 'simple-minded, muscularly developed' nature of martial artists, it should have taken them hours.
To finish in ten seconds revealed a level of genius that was far from ordinary.
"Great! Since Axis and Kratos finished it, we can handle it too! Come on, Vegeta," Goku said, enthusiastically starting his test.
Vegeta and Piccolo shook their heads helplessly but joined in, while the team from the Sixth Universe also began answering their questions.
Since the father and son had finished the test, they sat aside to wait. At this moment, Vados leaned in close, staring at Axis with blatant curiosity.
"I really didn't expect a guy like you to appear in the Seventh Universe. Whis, have you already chosen a candidate for God of Destruction? Is Lord Beerus preparing to retire?" Vados asked.
Really, her own progress was a bit slow this time. She hadn't expected her younger brother to quietly train a Destroyer candidate.
She could sense that the divine power within Axis was extremely dense, fully on par with a Supreme Kai.
Furthermore, he had already mastered the Energy of Destruction. If the current Destroyer of the Seventh Universe stepped down, Axis could inherit the position immediately.
"Ohohoho, Elder Sister noticed? That is correct. Axis is the Destroyer candidate I have been training," Whis said with a beaming smile.
Aside from Axis, Goku and Vegeta were also candidates, but Kratos was excluded because he was not a lifeform native to the Seventh Universe.
"You actually kept this from me for so long. Your big sister is very sad!"
"Is that so? I didn't have much of a choice. If it helps, you can cry a little, sister; I can lend you my shoulder."
However, upon learning that Axis was a candidate for God of Destruction, the fat cat sitting on the sidelines could no longer remain calm.
Champa, the God of Destruction of the Sixth Universe, rushed over with unimaginable speed.
He looked Axis up and down, confirming the presence of Energy of Destruction.
"Damn you, Beerus, you bastard! You actually cheated! How can this guy be allowed to participate? No, he must be excluded. I want him disqualified!" Champa shouted furiously.
His expression twisted with panic. He knew how powerful a Destroyer candidate was. If this guy competed, there was no point for anyone else.
Energy of Destruction could obliterate anyone who hadn't mastered it themselves; they wouldn't have the slightest chance to fight back.
"What's the matter? Did anyone make a rule saying candidates for God of Destruction can't compete? Besides, I haven't officially acknowledged him as my candidate. Whis just taught him some Energy of Destruction, that's all," Beerus said indifferently, though his face wore a look of gloating schadenfreude.
"Dammit! I don't care! I protest! I'm filing a complaint! Vados, come look at this! The Seventh Universe is cheating!" the large purple fat cat roared in anger.
"Heheh! If you're not convinced, just send the Sixth Universe's candidate over to compete against ours. Wouldn't that solve it? I don't mind if your candidate fights. Or is it that the Sixth Universe doesn't have a Destroyer candidate at all?" Beerus said in a tone dripping with mockery.
"Shut up! You bastard, Beerus, don't be too arrogant. Fight me one-on-one if you dare!" Champa yelled.
Actually, he had become a God of Destruction somewhat later than his brother, so he had not held the title for as long and had no intention of retiring.
Once one became a God of Destruction, one enjoyed eternal life. Retiring meant being downgraded to a regular deity; while still long-lived, a retired Destroyer and an active one were two completely different concepts.
Therefore, Champa had never been in a rush to train a successor.
While the Destroyer had to give final approval, the task largely fell to the Angel. And given that his Angel attendant was spectacularly unreliable...
"My, my, this really does break the balance. Having Energy of Destruction is unfair to the others. Perhaps we should disqualify Contestant Axis from the Seventh Universe," Vados suggested.
"I do not agree, Elder Sister. We never stated before the competition began that candidates were forbidden. Furthermore, although Axis has mastered Energy of Destruction, he has not formally become a candidate. We also never restricted the Sixth Universe from sending their own candidate," Whis replied with a smile.
"Anyway, no! This guy breaks the balance too much. If he competes, how is it any different from us surrendering immediately?" Champa argued.
"Do you want to surrender to me? I can magnanimously accept it. Leave the six Super Dragon Balls and get lost."
"Damn it! Fine. Since your universe is sending a candidate, then I, the Great Champa, will take the field too. I'll just have to deal with this Axis myself," Champa declared viciously.
None of the fighters he brought could withstand a Destroyer candidate; aside from himself, there was no solution.
"You are a God of Destruction; do you have no dignity at all? If you are fighting, does that mean I can compete as well?" Beerus asked.
This fat cat actually wanted to step into the ring personally; he really had no shame.
"Damn it, Beerus! You started the cheating, and now you have the nerve to lecture me?"
"Um, Lord Champa, even if the opponent is a Destroyer candidate, there is no need to admit defeat before we fight. I think we can still exchange a few moves," spoke Cabba, the short, somewhat scrawny Saiyan from the Sixth Universe.
The Saiyans of the Sixth Universe were quite different from those of the Seventh. In terms of wild nature and combat potential, the Seventh Universe Saiyans were actually more perfect because they possessed tails.
The Sixth Universe Saiyans had evolved them away. Thus, they could not transform into Great Apes, nor achieve Super Saiyan 4.
The tail was the source of a Saiyan's power; without it, their potential was significantly cut. They could transform into ordinary Super Saiyans, but they hadn't mastered the trick yet.
The other contestants, a robot, a giant yellow bear-like creature, a man resembling Frieza, and a purple bald man, remained silent.
However, their expressions spoke volumes. Being afraid before the battle even started was indeed shameful.
As top fighters selected from the universe, they had their pride.
"If Lord Champa is interested, then I certainly don't mind a sparring match. I would be more than happy to oblige," Axis smiled as he stood up.
He naturally welcomed a Destroyer's intervention.
Whis had said he wasn't a match for Beerus, but Champa was a different story.
Having just consolidated his divine power, removed his transformations, and mastered Energy of Destruction, he needed a qualified opponent to test himself.
"You are bold indeed! I will teach you a good lesson," Champa said fiercely.
Hearing this, Beerus glanced at Axis. Seeing the determination in the other's eyes, the corner of his mouth lifted into a smile.
"Since you are interested, Axis, then I agree. However, we must set a rule. Our side currently has four active participants.
"If Champa fights, your side has six. How does that calculate? Tell you what, I will make a concession to you, fat cat. I won't add an extra fighter. Consider it me taking care of you," Beerus said provocatively.
If he didn't provoke him, the fat cat wouldn't let it go. But by taunting him, Champa would inevitably insist on the Seventh Universe adding a fighter. As predicted, Champa immediately bristled.
"Who do you think you're looking down on, Beerus? Go ahead and arrange another contestant. We will do six versus six!" Champa roared. Since the rule was a "winner stays on" format, a single strong fighter could potentially defeat all six opponents.
"Hey, you guys over there, just send someone down!" Beerus smirked, turning his eyes to the spectator stand.
Many Z Fighters had come to watch, such as Krillin, Yamcha, Android 18, Gohan, Chi-Chi, Goten, and Trunks. As soon as the Destroyer spoke, the audience section considered who to send. First, Yamcha and Krillin, the strongest earthlings, were ruled out since the opponents were non-human monsters.
Gohan had turned into a frail scholar during the recent Frieza fight, and his combat power had plummeted; he was currently even weaker than 18.
Trunks and Goten were strong, especially fused as Gotenks, but they were children. Or the perverted old man? Everyone looked at Master Roshi, then sighed helplessly. Better to rely on Krillin than him.
"Forget it, I'll go," Android 18 sighed, shoving her young daughter into her husband's arms. She was the only one who could step in temporarily.
"Wait, Auntie 18, let me do it. I've been training properly for the last month. I might not be a huge help, but taking out one opponent shouldn't be a problem," Gohan said, standing up and taking off his outer clothes to reveal a yellow Turtle School gi.
Frieza's invasion of Earth had made him realize many things.
While being a scholar was important, martial arts could not be neglected. He had been training systematically for a month and had recovered a fair amount of combat power.
"Well said, Gohan! Come on down! The tournament will be much more interesting with you in it!" Goku gave his son a big thumbs-up, extremely happy that Gohan could participate.
Gohan nodded and entered the ring, balancing the teams at six fighters each.
"In this situation, if you lose, Champa, you might as well give up your position as Destroyer. Otherwise, you're just disgracing the title," Beerus said.
Soon, the first match began. Just like the original timeline, Goku took the field.
Super Saiyan Son Goku showed immense power, defeating the yellow bear cannon fodder in just a few rounds.
Unlike the original story, he didn't waste much time and defeated the giant bear in his base form, without even transforming. Axis had revived Vegeta and Goku from near-death twice, giving them massive boosts to their base power.
The second opponent was Frost, who looked very similar to Frieza. His state resembled Frieza's first transformation. It was a pointless battle; Axis barely bothered to watch. Even in his final form, Frost was no match for Goku.
However, Goku was unexpectedly knocked out by a poison needle sneak attack. Piccolo, who fought next, fell victim to the same carelessness.
It was only then that everyone realized this guy wasn't a good person, but a complete hypocrite, even more detestable than Frieza, who was at least openly evil.
Eventually, the Sixth Universe lost two matches by disqualification.
The two from the Seventh Universe regained their eligibility, though Piccolo withdrew due to heavy injuries.
It didn't matter, with Goku, Vegeta, and Kratos present. This angered Champa greatly. After a shouting match, the robot Magetta entered the field.
The Seventh Universe sent out the Saiyan Prince, Vegeta. The robot was miserably defeated by Vegeta.
The Sixth Universe then sent their other Saiyan, Cabba. But this guy was no match for Vegeta in his Super Saiyan state. During the match, however, he asked Vegeta to teach him how to become a Super Saiyan.
Vegeta didn't hold back; he taught him the transformation directly, then threw him out of the ring.
Despair washed over the Sixth Universe team; they had four members eliminated consecutively.
Hit of the Sixth Universe then entered, displaying overwhelming power and defeating both Vegeta and Goku, though he took significant damage in the process.
Finally, Kratos stepped into the ring.
"You expended a lot of energy defeating those two. Eat this. It will recover your stamina," Kratos said as he entered the ring, tossing a Second Generation Fruit of the Tree of Might to his opponent.
"You would actually let me recover?"
"Didn't I say? I hope you can bring me a long-awaited battle."
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