"Yuujin, we're back!"
Carrying Kakunsa, Roaie, and Bikal, Gokumi, Chi-Chi, and the other girls returned triumphantly.
"Good work."
Patting Gokumi on the head, Yuujin spoke, then looked over at Lilibevu nearby: "Lilibevu, how are your injuries?"
"I-I'm fine. I'm okay, Lord Yuujin."
Lilibevu had sustained some injuries earlier during her battle with Bikal. Although she said she was fine, Yuujin still checked her over.
They were only superficial wounds, so indeed nothing serious.
As Yuujin earnestly examined her injuries, Lilibevu's cheeks flushed slightly.
Even though Lord Yuujin seemed domineering and had taken them as his captives, he was actually rather gentle…
"The tournament is almost halfway over. Let's head to the center of the ring and regroup with our other teammates."
Having captured the prisoners he wanted and with the agreed time to regroup approaching, Yuujin explained the situation to the girls, then led them all toward the center of the arena.
Meanwhile, in the spectator stands—
"How could this happen? Even Kakunsa and Roasie have been defeated…"
As if drained of strength, Universe 2's God of Destruction, Heles, slumped back into her chair.
Their universe had carefully planned to make a grand entrance, to show off their power to the others and defeat every opponent to become the ultimate victors of this Tournament of Power.
Yet things had gone poorly from the start. Their performance had only just begun and almostall of them had been eliminated, and one of their member had been taken as a prisoner!
Though they still Ribrianne and others left in the arena, there was no longer a shred of hope.
Prum and Hamira, frankly, weren't particularly strong. Even when fighting, they relied on teaming up for sneak attacks on fighters from other universes. Although the two were still standing in the arena, it was only a matter of time before they were eliminated by a real powerhouse.
Ribrianne, as Universe 2's ace, had once carried everyone's high hopes. But as soon as she entered the battle, she was knocked away by a fighter from Universe 13. Even now, she was still entangled in a fight with an android from Universe 7 on the other side of the stage.
Ribrianne was their final and strongest force, but the android from Universe 7 was evenly matched with her!
No, this won't do. When facing truly top-tier fighters, Ribrianne is sure to fall as well.
Though the battle wasn't technically over, they could already see that victory was out of reach…
"Hahahaha!!!"
"Universe 2, looks like you're done for too!"
It was Universe 9's Supreme Kai, Roh, laughing loudly from the stands of his universe's camp.
Universe 9 was clearly doomed. The only reason they hadn't been erased by the Omni-King yet was because Hop was still being held by Yuujin as a captive. So seeing another universe close to sharing their fate brought him immense satisfaction.
Hmph! If we're going down, then you're not getting off easy either. If destruction is inevitable, then let's all go together!
Hahahahaha!!!!!
"Those bastards from Universe 9!"
Clenching her fists tightly, God of Destruction Heles really wanted to rush over and kick those jerks to death, but in the end, she restrained herself.
"Everyone, even if our universe is doomed to be destroyed, we must not give up on love and hope."
"Ribrianne and the others are still fighting hard—let's keep cheering for them!"
"Yes, Lady Heles!"
Under Heles's encouragement, the members of Universe 2 regained some morale and began loudly cheering on Ribrianne and the others in the arena. The now-out-of-place Supreme Kai Roe returned to his seat.
As the battle continued, the status of the Tournament of Power became increasingly clear.
Universe 9 was the first to be eliminated. Universe 2 had only a sliver of hope. Universes 4 and 10 were also in a dire situation, with only one or two fighters barely hanging on in the arena.
The ones still holding decent prospects were Universes 3, 6, 7, 11, and 13.
Universe 3 was technologically advanced, with most of its fighters being robots. Though many still remained in the ring, they lacked a truly strong ace. Unless they had some hidden trump cards, their chances of winning were very slim.
Universe 6's position was slightly better. Several Saiyans had shown tremendous potential, and their ace fighter, Hit, was incredibly strong. As a user of Time-Skip, he was without a doubt among the top-tier contestants in the tournament. With some luck, they might even clinch victory.
Universe 7 had been particularly outstanding in this tournament. So far, they had only lost Tien and Krillin, keeping most of their strength intact. Main fighters like Goku and Vegeta had been especially active during the first half of the tournament. They were not to be underestimated and were strong contenders for the championship.
Then there was Universe 11. Despite losing several participants, their core fighters—Jiren, Toppo, and Dyspo—remained. Jiren, in particular, had hardly made a move in the first half, conserving his strength. There was a high chance that he would dominate the second half and become a one-man army suppressing all others!
Finally, there was Universe 13—Yuujin's universe. Not a single member had been eliminated so far!
Although Yuujin had instructed them to preserve their strength and avoid drawing too much attention during the first half, the occasional displays of power had already left others wary. Without a doubt, they were among the top contenders for the final championship!
As time ticked by, both the gods watching and the fighters participating could sense the shift in atmosphere. The arena felt like a long-dormant volcano on the verge of eruption.
Everyone knew the first half of the tournament was merely the process of weeding out the weak. Universes 2, 4, 9, and 10 had all been swept away as part of that phase. But now—the second half was about to begin. The true showdown was approaching.
Anticipation. Excitement. Eagerness. Dread…
Only one universe would survive in the end. Every fighter would battle desperately for themselves and their home.
And that moment—
Was just about to arrive!
To be continued…