"By the way, Bulma, how are the route and spaceship you mentioned coming along?"
Bulma wiped the corner of Vitelli's mouth, smiled, and made an "OK" sign. Then she piled a generous helping of food onto his plate before answering:
"Don't worry! The plan's going smoothly! I've already discussed everything with Dad through the communicator. Mom's started buying high-quality farms and seeds on Earth, and Dad's in charge of building the large cargo spaceship. I might have to go back to Earth in a while to personally sort out some key technical specifications and equipment."
She paused, remembering something.
"Oh, right! I also had Dad carefully inspect the spaceship you brought back from that Planet Soph place and decipher its navigation system. The star map stored inside is incredibly complete and detailed! Didn't you say you needed a star map to use Instant Transmission? I can bring you a backup of the data when I go back this time."
Vitelli's eyes lit up at that, and he hurriedly swallowed his food.
"Thanks, Bulma! With detailed star-map coordinates to use with Instant Transmission, getting around will be so much easier!"
He thought for a moment, then said, "Let me know once you've settled on a date. I'll use Instant Transmission to go back to Earth with you. You know Earth's coordinates, right?"
Bulma happily leaned toward Vitelli and planted a kiss on his cheek with a loud smack. Then she said with a playful smile:
"Thanks, hubby! Having you as my chauffeur is so convenient!"
The sumptuous lunch came to an end in record time.
Beerus leaned back in his chair, satisfied, and burped. Looking utterly languid, he contentedly picked his teeth with a toothpick.
Suddenly, as though something had just occurred to him, he felt his stomach—which seemed to have grown a little rounder—and muttered:
"Am I going to get fat if this keeps up? No, no... Whis, arrange an outing for me later. I need to get some work done and stretch my muscles."
Whis covered his mouth and gave his signature "ho ho ho" laugh. His tone carried a hint of teasing.
"Lord Beerus is actually thinking of working on his own? This is like the sun rising in the west! What a rare occasion~~"
He paused, then spoke with a touch of pride:
"But... there's hardly any work left~ There are only a few minor scraps among the planets that still need dealing with."
Beerus's face fell at the teasing. He glared at Whis and said irritably:
"Enough nonsense! I remember that before I went to sleep last time, you said there were loads of planets that still needed clearing out! How could there suddenly be no work? Wait! Could it be..."
His expression changed abruptly, as if he had thought of an extremely frightening possibility. He sat bolt upright, eyes wide, and said:
"Did Grand Zeno send someone to clean everything up for me? Does he think I haven't been working hard enough and plan to... to erase me?! Then replace me with someone else?!"
After all, he knew just how ridiculously fast Vitelli learned. He had even reached the threshold of Ultra Instinct.
Could the higher-ups really be planning to replace him?
Whis looked at Beerus, who had scared himself so badly that his face had gone pale, and finally stopped teasing him.
He explained with an amused chuckle:
"Whatever are you thinking, Lord Beerus? While you were asleep, Vitelli-san and I efficiently took care of nearly all the backlog!"
"What's left are just a few targets in remote corners of the universe that aren't having much impact and can even be monitored for a while longer. Vitelli-san and I have cleared out everything in the central star systems."
Beerus let out a huge sigh of relief.
"Phew... So the work was just finished. You scared me—"
But the next second, he suddenly realized what Whis had said. His voice rose as he stared in disbelief at Vitelli, who was leisurely sipping red tea just like Whis:
"What?! You helped me finish the cleanup?! Wait! You've already gotten proficient at using Destruction?!"
Vitelli set down his teacup, his tone so calm it was as if he were talking about something trivial.
"That's right. I've already grasped the core of God of Destruction power. I can't say I've perfected it, but it's more than enough for cleanup work. I'm not far from mastering it completely, either."
Beerus's expression was a sight to behold. He was shocked and frustrated, with an undertone of incredulous bitterness.
Do you know how much he had suffered to master Destruction Energy?
He had... spent at least several hundred years on it!
How long had this kid been training?
Less than a year, right? And he was already close to catching up with years of Beerus's hard work?
"This can't go on..."
A strong sense of crisis rose within Beerus as he muttered to himself.
"If I keep slacking off like this, that kid might actually surpass me one day! Where will that leave my dignity?"
His eyes darted about. Suddenly, he clutched his stomach and put on a look of "pain."
"Ahem... Well, since there's nothing that needs my personal attention for now, I... I'll go back and rest some more. I think I ate too quickly just now and it's a little hard to digest... Vitelli, you're still young, and you have a long road ahead of you. Remember not to get complacent, and keep working hard at your training! I'll definitely pass the position of God of Destruction on to you someday!"
But not now! he added silently.
Without waiting for either of them to respond, he vanished and darted back to his chambers at top speed.
He needed to hurry and find the training equipment he'd used back in the day and see if it still worked. He had to get serious about training!
Watching Beerus's nearly frantic retreat, Vitelli turned to Whis with a baffled look.
"If he keeps eating and sleeping, then waking up now and then to gorge himself, won't he get fat? Don't Gods of Destruction have metabolisms?"
Whis had naturally seen through Beerus's little ploy, but he only smiled faintly without calling him out. He replied calmly:
"Don't worry, Vitelli-san. Lord Beerus... knows what he's doing."
After lunch, Vitelli took a short nap with Bulma.
Once he woke up, he sought out Whis again and continued training in Ultra Instinct.
He could clearly feel that he was only a thin sheet of paper away from the more perfect realm. Every time he fought Whis, that sheet grew a little thinner.
"If I keep training steadily like this, I'll surely master the Ultra Instinct Technique completely before long!"
"Then, once I raise my base strength, I'll be strong enough to face Beerus on equal terms!"
Vitelli was filled with confidence.
At dinner, the mood was relatively calm.
Over the meal, Vitelli and Whis discussed their plans for the coming days.
"Whis, I want to visit the Supreme Kai Realm tomorrow," Vitelli said.
"Oh? Is this about what you promised Supreme Kai-san earlier?" Whis asked knowingly.
"Yeah."
Vitelli nodded.
"I promised him I'd take care of the Majin Buu problem, so I can't go back on my word. And... I can also free the Old Supreme Kai sealed inside the Z Sword while I'm there."
He stroked his chin, interest flickering in his eyes.
"I heard the Old Supreme Kai can unlock people's potential. I could see if he can do that for me, too. Maybe I'll unlock Mystic Form?"
He was curious and wanted to find out whether the so-called "Mystic Form" was really as he suspected.
Did it have some kind of connection to "Ultra Instinct," perhaps being a simplified or watered-down version of it?
"Either way, there's no harm in going."
Vitelli summed up.
Whis elegantly wiped his mouth and nodded in agreement.
"That's an excellent plan, Vitelli-san. Repairing relations with the Supreme Kai Realm will benefit Universe 7's future. I'll arrange everything for you."
After a day of training, Vitelli felt satisfied in both body and mind.
He planned to get a good night's sleep and be well-rested for his trip to the Supreme Kai Realm the next day.
But just as he was cuddling Bulma and beginning to feel drowsy, she suddenly started getting frisky.
Her soft little hands began tracing circles over his body. Her warm breath brushed against his neck, carrying a hint of temptation.
"Th-this... We have important things to do tomorrow."
Vitelli closed his eyes, trying to stay calm.
"What's more important than me?"
Bulma's voice held a hint of playful indignation, and her hands grew bolder.
"Somebody was gone for more than ten days, and after making it up to me once, he thinks he can just get away with it? Hmm?"
Vitelli suddenly felt a surge of heat rise within him.
He had meant to get a good night's rest, but this mischievous little temptress clearly had no intention of letting him off.
"You little minx!"
Vitelli suddenly rolled over and pinned Bulma beneath him, his eyes gleaming with dangerous heat.
"If that's how it is, don't blame me for what happens next! Tonight, I'll show you just how powerful this monk is! You'll help me with my training!"
Bulma cried out in surprise, then broke into a giggle.
Far from being afraid, she eagerly pulled him closer!
"Who's afraid of who? Just watch how I deal with you!"
Their peaceful and wonderful time together began in earnest.
Chapter 28: Visiting the Supreme Kai Realm: The Presence of an Old Friend
The Supreme Kai Realm was a mysterious planet of immense grandeur, even among the countless planets scattered throughout the vast universe.
The divine beings known as Supreme Kais lived on this planet, wielding the wondrous power of creation.
When the life force in the universe waned, they would channel their divine power to create new planets suitable for life and sow the seeds of life upon them.
As for whether life would flourish or go astray after it came into being, that was generally beyond their direct influence—
Although, of course, there were occasional exceptions.
For example, a certain Goku Black who would appear in the future.
Normally, the Supreme Kai Realm was an extremely peaceful place.
It had vast green grasslands, crystal-clear lakes, towering but not rugged mountains, and all kinds of strange yet gentle little animals living there and enjoying their peaceful lives.
The Supreme Kais often mingled with these little creatures, keeping them company as they all basked in the tranquil atmosphere.
But today, this land—which had long been so quiet—was treated to a rare bit of commotion.
"Hey! It moved, it moved! Vitelli-san moved!"
Supreme Kai Shin pointed at Vitelli and cried out in astonishment. His tone made him sound like a child who weighed barely a hundred pounds.
Vitelli was pulling with all his strength when Shin's sudden shout startled him so badly he nearly pulled a muscle in his back.
He shot Shin an annoyed look and corrected him:
"Quiet! What do you mean, I moved? The sword moved! Learn to speak properly!"
This guy was supposed to be a Supreme Kai. Why did he always seem so unreliable?
Shin shrank his neck at the scolding and rubbed the back of his head with an embarrassed smile.
"Sorry, sorry. I got too excited. Please continue, Vitelli-san."
Whis stood to the side, still wearing his trademark elegant smile, as if none of this had anything to do with him.
He had somehow produced a packet of fancy snacks and was happily munching away. He looked completely detached, simply enjoying the show.
Vitelli couldn't be bothered to deal with the two clowns any longer. He focused again, gripping the hilt of the Z Sword with both hands.
He took a deep breath. His powerful energy erupted, and his muscles tensed as he began to pull with all his strength.
"Up...!"
Vitelli let out a low grunt.
The seemingly ordinary sword in the stone was unexpectedly heavy, as if the entire blade were firmly connected to the ground of the Supreme Kai Realm.
He used nearly eighty percent of his strength, and only then did the blade begin to rise, extremely slowly and with the laborious feel of something breaking free from its bonds, inch by inch from the ground.