As the two supreme deities of Universe 7 returned to the God of Destruction's realm, the turbulent atmosphere of the purple-tinted world began to settle. Gran's youthful voice echoed through the air.
"You want to see if Vegeta is dead? Based on my understanding of our race, his fate is sealed. Why watch an ending that has no suspense?"
Beerus scoffed, leaning back. He was more interested in why Gran was so obsessed with the Super Saiyan form. Supreme Kai Shin stepped forward, nodding. "Lord Beerus is right. During my time managing the universe, the Saiyans had a notorious reputation—"
He stopped abruptly as he felt Gran's eyes burning into him. Shin shivered and offered a sheepish smile. "Uh... that is to say... You know I'm not talking about you, Gran. I meant the others—cruel, cold-blooded, and violent. And as you said, that Vegeta fellow intended to abandon Raditz countless times. In that situation, Saiyan or not, no one would save him."
Kibito nodded solemnly, supporting his master. Gran's gaze softened. If Shin had dared to insult him indirectly, he would have made the Kai regret it.
"Enough talk," Beerus said, his eyes turning cold. "The brat abandoned Gran once; he deserves to be abandoned in return. An eye for an eye—you did well, Gran. That's how a proper Candidate for Destruction should act."
While the others chatted, Whis stood to the side, a playful glint in his eyes. "Well then, let us witness Vegeta's final moments." He waved his staff, and a massive projection appeared in the void.
Everyone looked up. Gran's face remained calm, his thoughts unreadable.
The projection showed Raditz, just as Gran had predicted, initially abandoning Vegeta without a second thought. The spectators nodded in satisfaction; it felt like justice for Gran.
However, the scene that followed left Shin and the others stunned. To survive the arrival of the Ginyu Force, Raditz and Nappa actually returned to Vegeta and fed him the Senzu fragment.
"How is that possible?!" Shin cried.
Gran remained expressionless. Whis's smile widened; he suspected the boy had actually intended for this possibility all along.
The projection continued. After recovering from the brink of death, Vegeta's power level jumped from 6,000 to 12,000 due to the Saiyan Zenkai boost. Yet, when the Ginyu Force landed and surrounded them, even 12,000 wasn't enough. Vegeta was beaten to near-death a second time.
Just as everyone thought it was over, Nappa pulled out a tiny sliver of the bean—the piece he had extorted from Raditz—and fed it to Vegeta. This time, Vegeta's power surged to 30,000.
"Nappa's greed... he forced Raditz to share," Gran muttered, his fists clenching as if this turn of events actually annoyed him. Whis blinked—was Gran actually upset, or was he acting?
The battle raged on. Even at 30,000, Vegeta was no match for Recoome, Burter, or Jeice, let alone Captain Ginyu's 120,000. He was pulverised once more. Surely, he was dead now?
Wrong.
Raditz pulled out yet another tiny crumb of the bean. Then, realising the potential of this "exploit," Nappa revealed that he had split his portion even further! Between them, they managed to trigger Vegeta's Zenkai boost four times.
By the end of the "Senzu Bug" cycle, Vegeta's power level had skyrocketed to 300,000!
With that explosion of power, Vegeta slaughtered the Ginyu Force before Captain Ginyu could even attempt his "Body Change" technique.
Silence fell over the God of Destruction's realm.
They realised that Raditz and Nappa, in a desperate bid for survival, had divided Gran's quarter-bean into four microscopic fragments.
"Gran... those two kinsmen of yours..." Supreme Kai Shin started to laugh but tried to suppress it, his body shaking with the effort.
"Those two absolute idiots!!!" Gran laughed out of pure frustration. His knuckles cracked as he gripped his fists.
Whis was confused. Isn't this what he wanted? Why is he genuinely angry?
In truth, Gran had not intended to show mercy. He didn't care about "main character armour." His plan was simple: humiliate Vegeta, crush his pride with the Super Saiyan form, and leave him to be abandoned and die in despair. He knew the Ginyu Force would be too much for a single Zenkai boost to handle. It was supposed to be a checkmate.
He never imagined Raditz and Nappa would be resourceful enough to split a tiny bean fragment into four pieces to "farm" power levels.
"What a couple of characters," Gran sighed, quickly regaining his composure. His emotional shift was eerie—it didn't fit the profile of someone with a "Semi-State of Selfless."
Beerus and Whis exchanged a look. Perhaps they had brought him back too soon.
"So... do we go back and finish the job?" Beerus asked tentatively.
Gran didn't speak for a long time. Finally, he huffed, "Lord Beerus, you're annoying." Without another word, he turned and walked toward the palace.
"Hey! Where are you going? You still have to explain the Super Saiyan form!" Beerus shouted.
"Let him rest, Lord Beerus," Whis said, shaking his head. "He's been training for a year and just had a spar with you. He's exhausted."
"You're always playing the nice guy," Beerus grumbled. Then he looked at Whis with a smirk. "It seems even you were wrong, Whis. You actually thought he was holding back on purpose, didn't you?"
Whis's mouth twitched. He had indeed assumed Gran was being merciful.
"Hahaha! Even an Angel misses the mark sometimes!" Beerus laughed, but then his brow furrowed. "But if he was truly trying to kill him, why does he still feel so conflicted?"
Back on the distant planet.
The battlefield was a wasteland. Raditz and Nappa lay trembling on the edge of the rubble. In the centre stood Vegeta, his clothes tattered, radiating a terrifying pressure.
"V-Vegeta... he's become so strong!" Raditz swallowed hard. "To think he wiped out the entire Ginyu Force after four recoveries."
"What do we do?" Nappa shook. "We betrayed him. He'll never let us live."
"You two... get over here," Vegeta barked. He held two energy spheres behind his back, hidden from view.
The two wobbled over, terrified. "Vegeta, we were wrong! Please, we saved you four times! Have mercy!" Raditz cried.
"I hate traitors more than anything," Vegeta said, his killing intent nearly physical. He revealed the energy spheres. Raditz and Nappa collapsed, eyes closed, waiting for the end.
BOOM! BOOM!
Two massive explosions rocked the earth. The pair opened their eyes. They weren't dead. Behind them, two fifty-meter craters were smoking in the dirt.
Vegeta had missed on purpose.
"Hmph. Consider your life's payment for those four saves," Vegeta said coldly. "But don't let it happen again. Move out!"
"Yes, Prince Vegeta! Where are we going?"
"To train until I become a Super Saiyan. And then... we take down Frieza!"
As their ships ascended, Vegeta sat in his pod, eyes closed. Gran's words and the names he had heard echoed in his mind: Lord Beerus, Mr Whis, Supreme Kai, Candidate for Destruction...
So, Gran has become a God, Vegeta thought. No wonder I lost.
Six months later.
Since returning to the palace, Gran had not stepped outside once. But today, a surge of pure, ethereal energy erupted from the palace, washing over the entire realm.
Beerus, who was lounging on a beach chair by the lake, was jolted into the air. "This is impossible!!!"
"The State of Selfless... a true, perfected state!" Whis was equally stunned. He gripped his staff and vanished with Beerus, reappearing instantly before the palace gates.
"Whis... you're sure?" Beerus asked, his voice hushed. He didn't dare enter, fearing he would disturb the boy.
"There is no mistake. It is the true State of Selfless!" Whis felt his heart racing—an emotion an Angel shouldn't feel. But how could he not? A child had achieved a state of mental perfection that took gods aeons to master, all in just three and a half years. Even the Grand Priest would be wide-eyed at this.
"He's coming out!!"
<><><><><><><><><><><>
Want more chapters? Support my Patreon/Razerizz