The Gods of Destruction from other universes were not to be trifled with. The thought pricked at Beerus's mind like a thorn, again and again.
Just imagining those people from Universe 11 swaggering around was enough to irritate him.
Toppo's stiff, righteous face, Dyspo moving so fast he was little more than a blur, and... most troublesome of all, Jiren.
Honestly, whenever Beerus thought of Jiren's calm, unruffled eyes, which seemed capable of swallowing everything, his temples began to throb.
The Tournament of Power was about to begin. At a time like this, any unexpected factor could completely throw everything off.
What if... what if Vampa really did hide a Saiyan stronger than Son Goku and Vegeta?
Beerus abruptly stopped tapping his fingers.
For a moment, a sharp glint flashed in his purple eyes, like a beast suddenly opening its eyes in the night.
He slowly rose from the stone chair, his wide God of Destruction robe dragging across the ground with a soft rustle.
"Let's go take a look."
His voice was low and calm, carrying the kind of decisiveness that needed no explanation. It pressed down on the air like a stone.
"Oh?" Whis turned around, the gem atop his staff shining with a faint, multicolored glow.
He raised an eyebrow, his eyes full of amusement. With a grin, he said, "Lord Beerus has finally taken an interest? I thought you'd wave it off like before and say, 'Saiyans from some trash planet like that aren't worth a second thought.'"
"Enough talk."
Beerus glared at him, his gaze sharp as a knife.
He strode toward Whis, each step steady and forceful.
As he drew near, he turned his head and added in a lowered voice, as if stating a fact, "But let me make this clear, Whis. If that guy's nothing but a walking pile of energy who can't even fight, I don't want to waste a single second on him."
"Of course, Lord Beerus."
Whis nodded with a smile, his silvery-white hair swaying gently in the breeze.
"Shall we set off now?"
"Wait!"
A voice suddenly cut in, urgent and insistent.
Son Goku shot over from the training ground like a streak of golden lightning, kicking up a gust of wind.
Sweat still glistened on his face, and his orange gi was a little rumpled, but his black eyes shone like they were about to burst into flames, brimming with curiosity and fighting spirit.
He raised a hand as he shouted, practically jumping in place. "I want to go too! Take me with you, Lord Beerus!"
Beerus didn't even turn all the way around. He merely gave him a cold sideways glance.
The look was like an icicle, instantly dousing half of Son Goku's enthusiasm.
"You're staying."
There was no room for argument in Beerus's tone. "You and Vegeta have more important things to do. The Tournament of Power starts in forty hours. You need to make the most of the time you have left and get yourselves into peak condition. This," he paused, finally turning to meet Son Goku's eyes, "is something Whis and I can handle."
"But—"
Son Goku couldn't help taking a step forward. His brows knitted tightly, and his fists clenched.
He could feel his blood racing. The yearning to face an unknown strong opponent clawed at him like a cat.
"No buts."
Beerus cut him off. His voice was not loud, but it carried the God of Destruction's absolute authority, as if the entire Supreme Kai World trembled with it.
"If that Saiyan really deserves to be called strong, I'll bring him back. If not," he narrowed his eyes, "following us now would only waste your time and energy."
Son Goku opened his mouth, but it felt as if something had lodged in his throat.
He looked at Beerus's expressionless face and understood that there was no point arguing.
In the end, his shoulders slumped, and he fell silent.
But his eyes gave him away—full of frustration and anticipation, like a hunting beast that had caught the scent of its prey but was held fast by a chain.
Whis had watched the whole exchange and smiled faintly.
He said nothing. Instead, he clasped his staff elegantly in both hands, raised it to his chest, and gently tapped the empty space ahead of them.
Humm—
A strange resonance rang out. It did not reach their ears; it seemed to vibrate directly through space itself.
The orb atop Whis's staff suddenly burst into silvery-white light. It was not dazzling, but had a sacred, mysterious quality.
The light flowed out like water, winding and gathering in front of them, then with a sharp crack, it tore apart in both directions!
A rift in space ripped open, its edges shedding silver sparks.
Beyond it was not darkness, but a distorted kaleidoscope. The paths of the stars stretched into long, colorful streaks.
Through the rift, the other side slowly came into focus—the cold, silent depths of the universe.
Stars drifted like specks of dust, and at the very center hung a planet.
It was dark red, as if formed from clotted blood and corroded metal.
It spun all alone. There was no greenery on its surface, not a trace of water—only endless barren mountains and enormous craters, shrouded in an ominous, dark red haze.
That was Vampa.
Even through the rift, they could feel the desolation and deathly silence radiating from it.
"Vampa," Whis said in his usual lighthearted tone, strangely at odds with the scene before them. "It's about... well, quite far from here by your standards. But with a little trick involving a hyperspace jump, we'll be there in no time."
He stepped through first, his white boot entering the brilliantly glowing rift. His figure was immediately swallowed halfway by the warped light.
Beerus didn't hesitate either. He gave one last look at Son Goku, whose face practically screamed, "I want to go," then snorted and strode through.
His purple figure vanished into the silver light, the hem of his God of Destruction robe swaying at the last moment.
The rift in space closed rapidly from both ends, like a wound sealing shut.
The silver light dimmed and faded. The final ripple settled, and the open ground before the Supreme Kai World's Lookout returned to normal, as if nothing had happened.
Only the faint traces of spatial turbulence in the air proved that the two gods had truly left.
Before you continue