In the center of the battlefield, an energy storm raged.
Although Axis's ultimate form was formidable, the pressure intensified abruptly when facing Champa, the God of Destruction, who was completely enraged and holding nothing back.
Champa's attacks were like a ceaseless tide of annihilation.
Every strike carried the Destruction Energy potent enough to erase entire galaxies.
Every block and dodge cost Axis dearly. His aura, usually steady as a mountain, began to fluctuate slightly.
Yet, this was the boiling excitement of battle a Saiyan craved. The last time he had experienced this thrill of combat was against the God-Emperor, the Dark King, and Khorne.
However, none of those entities possessed the raw might of the God of Destruction, Champa, who now stood before him.
Boom!
Axis seized a minute flaw in Champa's attack. Moving like a phantom, he cut into his opponent's guard.
His right hand formed a knife-hand strike, his fingertips coalescing a point of dark red light concentrated to the extreme. Like the core of a supernova on the brink of detonation, he silently thrust it toward Champa's chest.
This single finger strike contained the essence of his integrated power: the piercing capability of Super Saiyan 4, the explosive force of the Legendary Super Saiyan, the precise control of the Super Saiyan God realm, and the ultimate characteristic of Destruction Energy, the erasure of existence.
Champa's pupils constricted. An unprecedented crisis of death instantly shrouded him.
Roaring, he frantically condensed all his Destruction Energy before his chest, forming a deep purple, diamond-shaped energy shield.
Szzzt!
The dark red light pierced the deep purple shield like a red-hot poker sinking into ice. The shield fluctuated violently as countless fine cracks instantly spread outward from the point of contact.
Champa let out a stifled grunt as his massive body was blasted backward by an unimaginable force.
His feet plowed two deep furrows into the shattered ground until he finally slammed into the edge of the newly generated Angelic barrier.
His chest shield was riddled with cracks, its light dimming; it had been nearly pierced through completely.
The entire battlefield fell into a dead silence.
"God of Destruction Champa, your anger only leaves you full of openings," Axis stated.
"Damn it! You bastard brat! Die!" Champa howled and charged forward.
This was a killing blow condensed from his lifelong training, driven by absolute fury. The target of this punch was straight at Axis's heart.
This strike was too fast and too fierce, containing the will of a God of Destruction pushed to the breaking point of rage.
Axis's pupils narrowed slightly.
He sensed that even in his current state, taking this hit head-on would result in unimaginable injury.
However, in that split second, a crazy idea flashed through his mind, a tactic to fully utilize his unique biology and turn risk into opportunity.
He chose not to fully defend or dodge. Instead, at the critical moment, Axis turned his body slightly, moving his heart away from the fatal trajectory, but completely exposing his entire left chest and shoulder to Champa's devastating fist.
He raised his right arm for a symbolic block while simultaneously retracting the vast majority of his defensive warp energy internally to protect his most vital organs.
Splurt!
Champa's Fist of Destruction smashed solidly into the junction of Axis's left chest and shoulder. Flesh and bone were forcibly torn apart; not even a Divine Body could withstand a direct hit from a God of Destruction.
Axis let out a grunt as he was sent flying, crashing heavily onto the ground. Yet, a satisfied smile appeared on the corner of his mouth.
That's it, God of Destruction Champa. The harder you hit me now, the worse you will lose in a moment, and the stronger you will make me.
Giving Axis no time to breathe, the God of Destruction rushed to him and landed several more heavy punches.
Axis's body flew backward like a kite with a cut string, a shocking, massive crater now visible from his left chest to his shoulder.
The clothes, skin, muscle, and even parts of the bone in that area had been instantly reduced to nothingness under the corrosion of the Destruction Energy.
Blood gushed out like a fountain, only to be annihilated the moment it touched the purple energy.
His entire being was tainted with an ominous deep purple glow. His aura declined sharply, like a candle in the wind, and his fire of life seemed poised to extinguish at any moment.
"Father!" Kratos yelled, his eyes splitting with rage as he prepared to rush up.
"Don't move!" Beerus shouted sternly. No one was allowed to interfere in this contest, and he did not believe Axis would be defeated so quickly.
He had seen clearly that Axis had the speed and power to dodge, yet for some unknown reason, he had chosen to take the hit.
"Uncle Axis!" Son Gohan exclaimed in shock.
"Strange. Axis could clearly have dodged that just now. Why didn't he, Vegeta?" Son Goku frowned, his face full of confusion.
"Something is wrong with that guy..." Vegeta frowned.
Suddenly, a spark of realization flashed in Vegeta's mind. He glanced at Kratos beside him and remembered the Fruit of the Tree of Might the boy had just brought out.
So that's your plan, Axis. Axis had once mentioned that since his birth, he had never utilized the Saiyan ability to recover from near-death to gain power. That bastard is making a huge gamble.
"Ohohoho... truly bold. But this battle is wonderful!" Whis's smile deepened.
As the Angel of Universe 7, he was naturally aware of the Saiyan race's innate ability.
He guessed Axis's intention. What a daring boy, using a God of Destruction as a stepping stone to become stronger.
Standing opposite him, Vados revealed a faint smile. Lord Champa, if you don't take this seriously, you are truly going to lose miserably.
The spectator stands of Universe 7 fell into a dead silence, hearts in their throats. On the Universe 6 side, after a brief moment of shock, Champa burst into earth-shaking laughter.
"Hahahaha! Idiot! IDIOT! You actually took my Destruction Energy head-on? Don't think you can stand against me just because you mastered some Destruction Energy.
"Even among Gods of Destruction, there are levels, and I am much stronger than you. Now die! I will utterly destroy you as the price for angering me!"
Champa looked at Axis's miserable state, appearing on the verge of death, and his rage was instantly replaced by wild joy.
He was certain no one could survive that strike head-on. Even a fellow God of Destruction would be gravely injured. Axis, a mere candidate, was finished. He had won.
Although he had been enraged at the start, he had secretly been a bit anxious since he was at the bottom of the power ranking among Destroyers.
But now it seemed even the weakest God of Destruction was not something a mere candidate could handle.
Champa's massive body trembled with laughter. He even dropped his combat stance, ready to enjoy the fruits of victory and the ugly look on Beerus's face.
Champa rushed forward, swinging both fists to rain attacks upon Axis's Divine Body. Massive amounts of blood flowed from Axis.
Axis had never sustained such heavy injuries or been beaten this badly. Yet, the more this continued, the crazier the smile on Axis's lips became.
Come on, Champa. Output as much damage as you want. That's right.
After upgrading to a Divine Body, the punches of ordinary beings couldn't hurt him.
Only someone at the level of a God of Destruction could inflict this damage. This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
"Damn it, you bastard, what are you laughing at? You dare mock me? I'll kill you!" Champa grew even angrier seeing Axis's manic expression.
You are at death's door, yet you dare put on such a mocking face? Damn it, I didn't want to completely destroy you and ruin things with Beerus, but...
Champa slammed Axis heavily into the ground, then condensed a ball of deep purple energy in his palm, intending to finish him off for good.
Seeing this, everyone from Universe 7 turned pale with fright. Goku even prepared to fly to the ring but was stopped by Vegeta, while Kratos was pinned down firmly by Beerus.
"Vegeta, Axis is about to be killed! I have to save him!" Goku shouted.
"Shut up, Kakarot! Watch carefully. Have you forgotten our battle with Frieza on Namek?" Vegeta said.
Hearing this, Goku recalled the past. After being beaten near death by Vegeta and Ginyu, the power he possessed after recovering in the healing tank had been beyond his imagination.
Could it be that Axis...? No mistake. Axis had used this method on Goku and Vegeta before—beating them to near death and then reviving them with that magical fruit.
Just as Champa's declaration of victory echoed across the Null Realm battlefield, and everyone thought the dust had settled.
Axis suddenly opened his eyes!
He stood up from the ground and accessed his dimensional storage.
He retrieved a Fruit of the Tree of Might and, while no one was looking, quickly stuffed it into his mouth. Terrifying life energy flowed through his body.
The time had come. If he took any more hits, Axis estimated he would lose consciousness; he was currently controlling his body through sheer force of his Divine Soul.
If he were a normal person, he would have long since passed out from such injuries.
Red and green life energy surged within Axis. His destroyed muscles and deformed bones began to regenerate under the cleansing wash of life energy.
Axis felt a warmth spread through his entire body as the most primal power within his Saiyan cells was unleashed, revival from the brink of death.
"Ugh... RAAAAAAAAAH!!!!"
A roar sounding like an ancient beast erupted from Axis's throat.
His aura, previously so weak it was nearly extinguished, exploded like a supernova, skyrocketing at a geometric rate.
Inside his battered body, every cell screamed in pain, yet from that pain burst potential surpassing his limits.
Golden Ki no longer remained internal but erupted like an out-of-control volcano, instantly dispersing the lingering Destruction Energy on his skin.
Axis felt power pouring out of him like an endless fountain. The sensation was exquisite.
"Wha... What?! Impossible!!" Champa's laughter stopped abruptly, his eyes nearly popping out of their sockets.
He felt it, Axis's wildly climbing Ki! It was a power that surpassed his previous peak, a power that even made Champa feel a flicker of fear.
It was as if Axis had been reborn in an instant, reaching a new level, a new realm.
Floating in the air, enveloped in dark gold and scarlet aura like the halo of a deity, Axis looked down calmly at Champa, who was now sluggish with disbelief.
"Lord Champa... thank you for that beating," Axis's voice was frighteningly calm, yet it contained power that made the surrounding space tremble. "Thanks for the meal. Without your help, I wouldn't have reached this level. Now, it is my turn to repay you properly."
On the viewing platform, Vados shook her head and covered her eyes.
"Haaa, Lord Champa, you are going to get beaten quite badly. But don't worry, I'll save you right before you expire. Take this as a lesson!"
The group from Universe 7 finally relaxed. Everyone realized Axis's goal.
The moment his voice fell, Axis's figure vanished!
It wasn't high-speed movement, nor a spatial jump.
To all senses, he was simply "erased" from his original spot, only to appear in the next instant right in front of Champa, almost face-to-face, without any warning.
This was Goku's Instant Transmission that Axis had integrated, a skill he could use at will without needing the focusing gesture.
"Wha—?!" Champa couldn't react in time.
Axis's right fist, carrying devastating, violent power, fast as lightning and heavy as a mountain, smashed ruthlessly and solidly into Champa's panicked, distorted face with the will to ignore all defenses and end everything.
Bang—!!!!!
A loud noise, duller and more terrifying than any previous collision, erupted.
Champa's fat, cat-like face instantly deformed. The massive impact whipped his head backward violently. Saliva, nosebleeds, and a few teeth sprayed out.
His massive body was completely uncontrolled, like a giant sandbag hit by a home run, shooting backward screaming at a speed far exceeding Axis's previous flight.
Rumble—!!!
Champa's body slammed viciously into the Angelic barrier set up jointly by Whis and Vados.
This time, even the seemingly indestructible barrier groaned under the burden, caving inward into an exaggerated deep pit as countless fine cracks instantly crawled across its surface.
The entire Null Realm battlefield oscillated violently under the blow.
Axis descended from above, arriving in front of Champa. His hands turned into blurring afterimages as countless punches rained down on his opponent.
Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam!
Champa had only one thought at this moment: Who am I? Where am I? What am I doing?
A beatdown! Champa, the God of Destruction, suffered unimaginable heavy damage, his body bombarded by Axis.
Yet, Axis did not use a single shred of Destruction Energy; it was a unilateral physical thrashing. The fat cat had swollen into a giant, puffy fat cat.
The entire venue fell into deathly silence.
Everyone's minds were blank, unable to comprehend what had just happened in that flash of lightning, near death, eating the fruit, resurrection, and then... blasting the God of Destruction away with one punch? Followed by a ferocious beatdown!
The Universe 7 group looked ecstatic, hugging each other and cheering loudly. Axis had turned defeat into victory.
"That was amazing, Axis!"
"So strong! He actually defeated a God of Destruction."
The contestants from Universe 6 felt like they had fallen into an ice cave. Their bodies were cold. Their God of Destruction had been wrecked by the opposing candidate! This was absurd!
Whis smiled until his eyes curved into crescents. "Ohohohoho! What a... surprising tactic, Axis! You are too bold."
Beerus stood up abruptly from his seat, unprecedented brilliance bursting from his purple feline eyes. He stared fixatedly at Axis, who looked like a descending Demon in the arena, and the corner of his mouth hooked up in an excited and dangerous arc.
"That guy... is a maniac! But... well done! Beat that fat slob just like that."
He could see that Axis wasn't using Destruction Energy, just administering a physical beating. It wasn't a killing blow, so Beerus just wanted to gloat and mock his brother.
"Ah! Ah! Ah! Ow! Ow! Woo woo!"
Inside the deep crater of the barrier, Champa struggled, letting out painful and angry whimpers and screams.
He felt as if his head had been smashed by countless planets simultaneously; half his face was numb.
Humiliation! Unprecedented humiliation! He, the dignified God of Destruction of the Sixth Universe, had been defeated by a candidate... and then subjected to such a beating.
"That is enough, Mr. Axis. Lord Champa can no longer stand. Universe 7 wins this battle. Please stop."
Vados, the Angel of Universe 6, appeared in front of Axis and stopped him from continuing the assault.
Facing the Angel's intervention, Axis ceased his attack appropriately.
After all, he still had to thank this God of Destruction! If Champa hadn't beaten him to a pulp, Axis wouldn't have had the chance to revive from the brink of death and gain such a massive power boost.
"Ms. Vados, I didn't strike with lethal intent at all. Although it looks serious, he's fine," Axis smiled, wiping the blood from his fists.
Inside the deep pit, Champa struggled to turn his head. You bastard, how do you have the nerve to say that?
Vados covered her mouth and giggled, then tapped her staff lightly. A burst of white light enveloped Champa.
In a flash, Champa, who had been beaten so miserably by Axis, was fully revived and lively again.