The Unknown Saiyan of Vampa

"Crack—"

No one knew when Beerus had acquired a crystal-clear cup.

Then, a fine crack suddenly split the cup's surface. Purple liquid seeped out and dripped onto the floor with a sizzling sound, as though corroding it.

The God of Destruction's eyelid twitched sharply, his pupils contracting into needle-thin slits—dangerous beyond measure.

"Say that again?"

Beerus's voice was lowered to a frightening degree, like muffled thunder before a storm, his fury echoing throughout the entire temple.

Whis seemed not to notice at all, maintaining his usual calm demeanor. "I'm saying that, if my senses are not mistaken—though of course, my senses have never been mistaken—the unknown Saiyan on Vampa has already surpassed Goku and Vegeta in energy level alone."

As he spoke, he tapped his staff against the ground, and a pale golden halo spread from its tip.

A complex energy chart emerged within the halo. Twisted lines and flickering points of light formed an alarming waveform—the peak towered far above the baselines labeled "Son Goku (Base Form)" and "Vegeta (Base Form)."

"Impossible."

This time, Vegeta spoke.

He had been leaning against a pillar at the edge of the temple, arms folded across his chest, his expression dark enough to drip water.

At last, he stepped forward, his boots striking the floor with heavy thuds.

His dark blue combat suit tightly wrapped his lean, powerful frame, every muscle seeming as though it had been forged from steel.

"The Saiyan race has long since been exterminated."

Vegeta's voice squeezed out through clenched teeth, icy and piercing. "Other than me, Kakarot, and those half-blood mongrels, no pure-blooded Saiyans could possibly still be alive. And it's even more impossible for someone's base-form energy to surpass ours—unless he has also mastered the realm of the gods."

By the end, his sharp gaze shot toward Whis, his skepticism mingled with a trace of unease.

Whis merely smiled and lightly waved a hand. The energy chart rotated and expanded in midair.

The complex streams of data cascaded down like a waterfall, condensing into a clearer image.

It showed that the unknown Saiyan's energy waveform not only possessed an absurdly high peak, but was also exceptionally stable and pure. It lacked the violent fluctuations of ordinary Saiyans; instead, it carried an unfathomable serenity.

"His exact strength will have to be judged in person."

Whis's smile faded, and for the first time, seriousness appeared in the angel's eyes. "But I must emphasize one point: the purity of this energy... is astonishingly high. This is not power forcibly raised through anger or external stimulation. It is the 'origin power' of a warrior—tempered countless times, completely mastered, and rooted in his very essence."

The temple instantly fell silent.

Beerus slowly rose from his reclining chair.

When he stood fully upright, it was as though all the light in the Supreme Kai World surged toward him, casting a long, distorted shadow behind him.

The God of Destruction's expression shifted unpredictably, dark currents seeming to churn beneath his skin.

He knew Son Goku and Vegeta's current strength all too well.

They had fought him, witnessed Golden Frieza's resurrection, and battled Goku Black in that desperate fight that tore through time and space... Those two monsters had already mastered Super Saiyan Blue and touched the domain of gods.

Their strength was enough to exchange blows with opponents at the level of a God of Destruction—even if only the most basic kind.

But now, Whis was telling him that another Saiyan was hidden on Vampa, a wasteland not even worth marking on an interstellar map?

And his base-form energy was even stronger than those two monsters'?

"Whis."

Beerus's voice was terrifyingly calm. "Are you sure you're not toying with me?"

"Lord Beerus." Whis bowed slightly, his staff tracing a respectful arc. "When have I ever joked about a matter concerning the survival of the universe?"

The air seemed to freeze once more.

Beerus closed his eyes. When he opened them again, all contempt and disdain had vanished from his purple pupils, leaving only an exceedingly sharp scrutiny.

His mind raced, the God of Destruction processing information at speeds far beyond light.

The Tournament of Power.

Grand Zeno.

The survival of the universe.

Universe 7's ten-man team.

The confirmed candidates flashed through his mind one by one: Son Goku, Vegeta, Gohan, Majin Buu... along with backup choices like Piccolo, Android 17, Android 18, and even that Earthling named Krillin.

Still not enough. Not nearly enough.

Beerus remembered the information on the monsters from the other universes with absolute clarity.

Universe 11's Pride Troopers, those madmen who called themselves "justice"; the Saiyans of Universe 6, who, while inferior to Goku and Vegeta, had also mastered Super Saiyan transformations; and those sinister bastards from Universe 4 who specialized in assassination...

Universe 7's lineup was far too thin before those monsters.

Especially in terms of top-tier combat power—aside from Goku and Vegeta, no one else could enter the true circle of "god-level battles."

But now, an unknown Saiyan stronger than Goku and Vegeta had suddenly appeared on Vampa.

The corner of Beerus's mouth slowly curled upward.