Beerus wasn't as tall as Broly, but when he looked up and fixed his golden eyes on him, his presence suddenly became overwhelming.
It was hard not to feel as though he were looking down on Broly.
Beerus spoke slowly, his voice cool and clear. "Universe 7 needs warriors. If you're capable, then you must take part in the Tournament of Power. This isn't a negotiation. It's your responsibility—and the reason you exist."
As he spoke, the corner of his mouth curled into a chilling smile, utterly devoid of warmth and filled with naked menace.
"But if you're not capable—"
Beerus raised his hand and lightly pointed his index finger at Broly's chest.
His fingertip didn't touch him, but the skin on Broly's chest already stung as if a blade had drawn across it.
"Then there's no reason for you to keep living. A God of Destruction's job is to clean the trash out of the universe."
The moment Beerus finished speaking, a terrifying divine pressure erupted from his slender frame, like an ancient beast suddenly awakening.
It wasn't ordinary force of presence. It was like countless invisible hammers pounding Broly from every direction.
"Boom—crack-crack-crack!"
Centered on Beerus, the already charred, hardened ground of Vampa suddenly cracked like glass.
Massive fissures spread rapidly, forming a black web that devoured everything.
The scorched earth shattered, and rocks and dust were hurled into the air by an invisible force, only to be ground into fine powder by the even greater pressure.
The air grew viscous, and every breath felt like it was tearing his lungs apart.
The light warped, and space began to emit a faint, teeth-grating hum.
The entire planet seemed to let out a low, mournful groan beneath the power Beerus released so casually.
Broly's shoulders sank heavily, as if a mountain had been dropped on him.
The ground beneath his feet caved in, and his legs sank ankle-deep into the cracked earth. The dust kicked up was crushed back to the ground by the pressure before it could even rise.
His chest armor creaked faintly. Veins bulged across his exposed skin, his muscles swelled, and he fought with all his strength against a pressure powerful enough to shatter an ordinary planet.
Yet his back remained as straight as a rock, and his waist didn't bend in the slightest.
Only his heavy, hot breaths burst through his clenched teeth, leaving two white trails in the stagnant air.
"Oh?"
The laziness and mockery in Beerus's eyes vanished, replaced by ever-growing curiosity and interest.
He tilted his head slightly, his eyebrows arching like a cat's whiskers.
"Interesting... Really interesting. There haven't been many mortals over the years who could withstand this kind of pressure without collapsing, even if their feet sink into the ground."
Broly slowly raised the head he'd kept lowered all this time.
Beneath his tousled hair, his once-mad eyes now held a stillness with a piercing edge.
A glimmer of emerald light flashed deep in his pupils. He hadn't fully unleashed his power yet, but a dangerous, wild aura was already showing through.
His voice was hoarse but clear, each word forced out from his chest. "You... were testing me?"
"Testing you?" Beerus shrugged, his movements casual, yet carrying the cold indifference of someone who ruled over everything.
"You could call it that. But I'd rather call it... a screening."
He drew out the last word deliberately, his gaze sweeping over Broly like a blade. "A screening of those worthy of standing before me, rather than groveling on the ground like insects."
Having finished speaking, Beerus lazily raised his right hand. He lightly rubbed the fingers of his purple-gloved hand together, the graceful gesture like pinching a flower.
But the moment his fingertips touched, a point of deep purple light suddenly flared, instantly condensing into a peanut-sized ball of energy that hovered quietly at his fingertips.
Though the energy ball was small, the moment it appeared, the already warped space around it rippled with visible purple waves, like a pebble tossed into a lake.
An aura even purer and more extreme than before spread out—not mere energy, but the embodiment of "termination," "annihilation," and "returning to nothingness" itself.
This was the power of a God of Destruction, the authority to bring all things to an end.
Whis, who had been silently watching nearby with his staff in hand, raised his slender eyebrows slightly. A flash of understanding passed through his purple eyes.
He said nothing and made no move.
He knew the God of Destruction he served all too well. Beerus seemed capricious and short-tempered, but he knew exactly where to draw the line, especially when he came across an interesting "toy."
The Destruction Sphere in Beerus's hand had already been compressed and controlled to the utmost.
The "destruction" within had been cleverly restrained. On the surface, it looked like it would do no more than blast Broly away and leave him with a few minor injuries.
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