A gigantic shock wave spread wildly in every direction, like a solid ring, toward outer space and down through the atmosphere!
The earth groaned! People screamed!
Even dozens of kilometers away, the city below felt the intense tremors!
Windows shattered one after another! Buildings shook nonstop! Countless people screamed in terror and ran for open ground, instinctively looking up at the sky—
High above, the clouds had been churned by a terrifying force into a huge hole. Blinding light flashed within it, as if doomsday had arrived!
In the central area where the two had collided, space had been battered into countless fine cracks, like fragile glass!
They were the marks of space being torn apart! Fierce gales swept down from high above, forming a terrifying superstorm on the ground!
Finally! After another earth-shaking collision, the two were sent flying apart at the same time. They faced each other from several thousand meters away.
Both of their auras were somewhat unsteady, but their fighting spirits burned at their peak!
"Kid!"
Beerus's voice carried a hint of amusement, but it was also full of approval.
"I admit you're pretty good! If you can withstand this attack..."
He kept his left hand behind his back and slowly raised his right, holding his index finger straight up!
Hum—!!!
A destructive aura that made the soul tremble gathered in an instant! A deep-purple energy ball, about the size of a basketball and seemingly capable of devouring everything, appeared out of thin air at Beerus's fingertip!
Inside the energy ball, purple light leaped wildly, radiating an apocalyptic aura that could destroy everything!
The pressure from its mere presence made the silver glow around Vitelli fluctuate violently, as if it might go out at any moment!
"If you withstand it, then you win this battle!"
Beerus's voice was cold and calm, carrying the authority of a god passing judgment.
"Destruction."
As he spoke, Beerus lightly tapped the air with his index finger!
The energy ball, infused with a trace of his God of Destruction power, made no sound, yet moved so fast it surpassed the limits of space and time. It crossed the several thousand meters between them in an instant and appeared before Vitelli!
In its wake, the surrounding space was pulled into a dark, lingering trail that showed no sign of healing!
Vitelli took up his stance with both palms and looked at the incoming Destruction Energy!
A blazing white light, infused with terrifying heat, compressed and condensed furiously between his palms!
But before they even truly made contact, the terrifying pressure within the Destruction Energy had already made Vitelli's face change dramatically!
His body felt as if an invisible mountain were crushing him! His bones groaned under the strain! This power... was far beyond anything Beerus had unleashed before!
The white light in his hands compressed furiously, but the condensation was too slow! It couldn't keep pace with the approaching energy ball!
"Damn it!"
For the first time, a hint of panic flashed in Vitelli's silver-white eyes!
There wasn't enough time to charge up! He couldn't possibly finish gathering the strength for a "White Heat Flash" powerful enough to withstand this attack!!!
Could it be... that he was really going to lose?
Would he be reduced to ashes by this final attack...?
No!!!
An intense, overwhelming sense of defiance and fury, rooted deep in the Saiyan blood coursing through Vitelli, erupted in his heart like a volcano!
I refuse to accept this!!!!! How could I lose to a mere God of Destruction?!
At this critical moment between life and death!
Hum—!!!
The silver light around Vitelli, which had been flowing sluggishly and appeared thin and dim, suddenly blazed with dazzling brilliance, like an exploding supernova!
The silver that had only stained the edges of his pupils suddenly spread to the limit!
The deep black receded like a tide, and his entire pupils turned a pure silver-white, as if reflecting the truths of the universe!!!
An indescribable sensation instantly filled Vitelli's entire body!
Time seemed to slow at that moment!
His thoughts became clearer than ever!
Every cell in his body rejoiced!
He could feel it!
He could feel the faintest currents of the breeze high above!
He could feel the mighty, vibrant pulse of the planet beneath his feet!
He could feel the deep, boundless stillness of the vacuum above!
He could even feel... every point in the flow of energy inside the Destruction Energy, with its will to destroy!
It was as if he were no longer a fighter, but had become part of all things in heaven and earth!
He was the flowing breeze, the pulsing earth, the tranquil void... It was as if heaven and earth themselves were cheering him on.
No need to think! No need to control!
The body moved with the will! The will followed each thought!
Was this... true Ultra Instinct?!
In that instant of enlightenment, the "White Heat Flash" in Vitelli's hands, which required time to charge, accelerated countless times under his mind, which seemed to have grasped the essence of energy. Compression, condensation, ascension... It all happened in one smooth motion!
His movements also changed in an inconceivable way!
Facing the Destruction Energy ball now right before him, Vitelli's two-handed charging stance naturally became a single hand thrust forward!
His fingers spread, his palm facing the purple orb of destruction!
His movements were fluid and effortless, utterly natural, yet carried a wondrous rhythm!
Just as the Destruction Energy ball was about to devour him!
The pure silver-white in Vitelli's eyes reflected the destructive purple light, yet his gaze remained calm.
His lips moved, and his indifferent voice reached Beerus's pointed ears:
"White Heat... Flash."
Hum—!!!
A pure white beam, so concentrated it defied description, burst from Vitelli's palm!
There was no earth-shaking roar, no wild energy spilling out!
The beam was like the purest light, the sharpest sword. It pierced the core of the Destruction Energy ball with pinpoint accuracy!
Sss—!!!
There was no explosion! Only a soft sound, like a hot knife slicing through butter!
The Destruction Energy, powerful enough to destroy a planet, met its match in that beam of white light, which contained every bit of Vitelli's strength and the essence of Ultra Instinct!
It was pierced and disintegrated in an instant! Not even a ripple spread beyond it!
The white beam continued onward! After destroying the energy ball, it didn't pause for even a moment, surging toward the Beerus behind it, whose expression had changed dramatically!!!
For the first time, disbelief and shock showed in Beerus's golden slit pupils!
He had never imagined Vitelli could transform so dramatically in an instant and unleash such incredible power!
With no time to spare, he could only shout and cross his arms tightly in front of himself!
Hum—!!!
A dense flood of purple God of Destruction power surged forth, instantly forming an incredibly thick energy shield in front of him!
Rumble—!!!
The white beam slammed into the purple shield! This time, a cataclysmic explosion followed!
Terrifying currents of chaotic energy burst outward like a boiling ocean, completely churning up the thin gases of the stratosphere!
Blinding light illuminated half the Earth, where night had fallen!
Several seconds later, the rushing tide of energy slowly receded like the tide going out.
At the center of the explosion, Beerus still hovered in place.
His crossed arms trembled slightly. His divine attendant's clothes were torn and scorched in several places, leaving him looking rather disheveled.
But his aura remained powerful, and it was clear he hadn't suffered any serious injuries.
It was just that his catlike face was full of astonishment, solemnity, and a trace of... complicated emotion at having been deeply shaken.
Vitelli still held one hand out, hovering calmly in the distance.
The silver-white light around him quickly receded like a tide, and his silver-white pupils returned to deep black.
He looked calmly at Beerus, whose expression was shifting between emotions. His lips moved, and his voice was weak with exhaustion:
"Beerus, I... won..."
Before he could finish speaking, the last light in Vitelli's eyes quickly faded, and his body went limp as he fell backward.
"Vitelli—!!!"
Bulma screamed from inside the aircraft, startling Whis beside her.
Tears instantly spilled from her eyes! She desperately piloted the aircraft toward him, trying to catch him, but he was too far away. There was no time!
"Whis! Save him!"
Bulma turned to the angel beside her and shouted.
"Ho ho ho~ A huge feast!"
Whis's voice was cheerful. He lightly tapped his Scepter, and vanished in an instant.
The next second, he appeared beside Vitelli as he plummeted through the air. After a small trick, he easily caught him by the back of his collar with one hand.
As if carrying a kitten, he appeared beside Bulma's aircraft and gently laid Vitelli down next to her.
"Vitelli! Vitelli, wake up!"
Bulma rushed to Vitelli's side. Seeing his pale face and the blood at the corner of his mouth, her heart broke.
She frantically searched his body. "That's right! Senzu Beans! Senzu Beans!"
She remembered that Vitelli usually kept Hoi-Poi Capsules inside his Battle Suit!
After searching for a while, she finally found a Capsule tucked inside his waistband, labeled "Senzu Beans."
"Pop!" Bulma quickly pressed the button, and several plump green Senzu Beans appeared in her hand.
She carefully pried Vitelli's mouth open and slipped a Senzu Bean inside.
The moment the Senzu Bean entered his mouth, its immense life energy coursed through Vitelli's body.
His pale complexion regained its color at a visible speed. His injuries healed instantly, and his unsteady aura quickly settled.
"Mm..." Vitelli's eyelids fluttered a few times before slowly opening. The first thing he saw was Bulma's lovely face, streaked with tears and full of worry.
"Bulma? I'm fi—" Vitelli had just started to reassure her when he suddenly felt a chill. He looked down—
"Holy crap?! Wh-what the hell?!"
The familiar black Battle Suit he'd been wearing had somehow vanished! In its place was an outfit that looked eerily familiar—
It was deep blue, with intricate purple patterns and gold trim. Its style... was strikingly similar to the God of Destruction's divine robes Beerus was wearing!
The details were just a little simpler, and the color slightly darker.
Vitelli instantly bristled!
He jerked his head up and glared at Beerus and Whis, who were slowly descending beside the aircraft:
"Who?! Who changed my clothes?! What are you trying to do?!"
Beerus folded his arms and looked down at the bristling Vitelli. His golden slit pupils held a hint of smugness and an imperious air.