"You're not bad."
A moment later, Beerus spoke slowly.
"I'm just okay. Compared to you, Lord Beerus, I'm still very weak."
Soya answered with great humility.
Although he had already become a god, there were still absolute differences between gods.
Especially when his opponent was a God of Destruction.
And one of the strongest among the Gods of Destruction, at that.
Soya wasn't confident he could defeat someone like him.
Even so, Soya didn't mind fighting him.
Even if he was bound to lose, this battle already meant a great deal to Soya.
"Lord Beerus, this isn't a suitable place. Let's go somewhere else!"
As Soya spoke, he flashed away and shot straight into the sky.
"Whoosh!"
He was so fast that he left Earth in an instant, emerging into the starry void.
If he hadn't cultivated Divine Power, he wouldn't have been able to survive in space against its crushing force.
Even his Super Saiyan 4 body couldn't withstand the pressure of space.
But things were different now.
Even in his normal state, Soya possessed God Ki. As a result, surviving in space placed no pressure on him.
"Interesting!"
Beerus's eyes flashed.
"Whoosh!"
He flew out directly, following Soya into space almost at the same time.
Son Goku and the others wanted to watch from nearby, but they couldn't enter space like Soya and Beerus, so there was nothing they could do.
"I'll help you."
Whis stepped forward and gently waved the Angel Staff in his hand.
"Whoosh!"
A beam of light appeared, transforming into a screen.
It showed Soya and Beerus, now in the starry void outside Earth.
In space, Beerus and Soya stood about ten yards apart.
That distance meant nothing to either of them.
Neither made the first move. They watched each other, their auras spreading as they locked onto one another.
"You're clearly human, yet you reached the Realm of Gods through your own training. That's rare.
"You're not the first I've met who could do it, but the fact that you managed it is already astonishing."
A moment later, Beerus looked at Soya and spoke.
"I've reached the Realm of Gods, but my power is only the most ordinary kind. I'm still far behind you, Lord Beerus, a god appointed to your position."
Soya smiled and replied politely.
"You're a Saiyan. So can I call you a Super Saiyan God?"
Beerus looked at Soya as he spoke.
"No."
Soya shook his head.
"Right now, I can only be called a Saiyan God, because this is what truly—"
A smile appeared at the corner of Soya's mouth. He looked perfectly calm.
As soon as he finished speaking, Soya clenched both fists.
The instant he did, a powerful force erupted from within him.
It was tremendously strong. The moment it appeared, it became a terrifying storm that swept wildly in every direction.
"Rumble!"
Soya's aura surged at that very moment, multiplying dozens of times in an instant.
At the same time, golden energy burst from his body.
Gold!
The color of a Super Saiyan!
"This is the true Super Saiyan God!"
After transforming into a Super Saiyan, Soya's golden gaze settled directly on Beerus.
"A Super Saiyan transformation combined with the Realm of Gods. That does make you a Super Saiyan God.
"And your Super Saiyan God form is much stronger than Son Goku's, which relies on the power of others."
Beerus nodded, his expression unreadable, his hands clasped behind his back.
Compared to Son Goku's red-haired Super Saiyan God form, Soya's form was clearly more deserving of the title.
"It's starting!"
On Earth, as everyone watched through Whis's screen, Son Goku suddenly spoke.
His ability to sense energy was more sensitive than anyone else's except Whis's. He had already sensed the disturbance in space before the others noticed it.
"Whoosh!"
"Whoosh!"
As soon as Son Goku spoke, Soya and Beerus moved at the same time in space.
They were so fast that in an instant, they were already upon each other.
"Bang!"
The moment they closed in, their fists met.
The instant they collided, a thunderous roar rang out.
Their single punch sent ripples surging across the entire starry void.
And this
was only a probing attack from the two of them.
"Bang!"
"Bang, bang!!"
"Bang, bang, bang!!!"
A series of thunderous booms rang out, and the entire nebula churned like a storm.
Some of the smaller meteorites around them were reduced to dust by their attacks.
"Hahaha, Soya, you really are strong. You can actually fight me to a standstill.
"Other than the other Gods of Destruction, no one has ever managed that. You're the first!"
Beerus had shed his earlier calm and was visibly excited.
To him, Soya's strength was enough to make him take some notice.
The outcome wouldn't change, but at least Soya could give him a chance to stretch his muscles.
"Lord Beerus, this was only a warm-up, just the prelude. I know I'm no match for you.
"But if you think this is all the power I have, you're very much mistaken."
Soya glanced at Beerus as he spoke, then stepped back and lowered the arm he had just raised.
After colliding with Beerus again and again, he had gotten his first real taste of a God of Destruction's power.
Hundreds of clashes in such a short time had left his arm trembling nonstop. Even his fist wouldn't stop shaking.
Beerus, by contrast, looked as if nothing had happened.
"Oh? Do you have another transformation?"
Beerus was taken aback, but he wasn't angry. Instead, he watched Soya with interest, anticipation in his eyes.
When he saw Soya suddenly stop, he also chose to remain where he was, hands behind his back, watching him.
Soya didn't answer. He only smiled, clearly unwilling to respond to the question.