An Angel had actually disappeared? The assembled gods were terrified. Fear that had been buried deep in their hearts suddenly burst forth like a pile driver slamming down—their hearts sinking with dreadful weight.
"Mirto... Angel of Universe 18," Raditz murmured the name, feeling profound unease.
He sensed an endless abyss spreading before him, expanding to encompass the entire multiverse. He couldn't stop it—couldn't even comprehend its full scope. After all, that was the power level of an Angel, and he hadn't even achieved true godhood yet.
The other Supreme Kais turned pale with fright. Even the usually arrogant Ro, Supreme Kai of Universe 9, found himself speechless.
"Events are unfolding exactly as the Prophet warned. Something catastrophic has occurred," Anato said in a grave voice. "We must report what's happened here to the Grand Priest immediately and allow him to prepare. Otherwise, it will be too late once disaster strikes the multiverse."
"Let's examine this place more thoroughly to see if there are other changes. This vast space contains six entire buried universes!" Fuwa suggested after careful consideration.
Gowasu nodded in agreement. "Yes, we can provide more specific details in our report. This is a major event affecting all twelve universes—we must be absolutely cautious. If the prophecy proves true..."
He trailed off, and everyone fell into heavy silence. Which among them wasn't panicking? Which wasn't nervous? Was the shadowy hand controlling the Demon Realm truly this former Angel? If so, the implications were dire beyond measure.
"Look!" Suddenly, a trainee Supreme Kai pointed toward a section of calm water nearby. He seemed to have discovered something extraordinary, his eyes widening with shock.
Everyone turned to look. They found a figure floating in the water's surface—no, not a figure, but images playing like a film, showing the past of the six erased universes like a space-time documentary.
"Time-space fragments from the six destroyed universes. After they were erased, these fragments remained preserved in this place," someone explained.
"Ah, I see." The younger Supreme Kais nodded with sudden understanding.
Everyone watched as the scenes switched, sometimes surprised, sometimes moved to contemplation. They were gods—beings who stood on high, overlooking the mortal realm, judging the progress of civilizations. This was familiar work to them.
The mortals of these six universes began their existence fighting bloodily in primitive eras. They wielded stones as weapons to attack each other, engaging in the most primal biting and clawing, fighting for territory and survival. Every scene was drenched in blood and violence. In those dark ages, the mortals of these universes possessed simple desires and employed brutally savage methods.
Civilizations rose over time, yet their fundamental behavior remained unchanged—only becoming more sophisticated in execution. The mortals of Universe 18 in particular had acquired advanced technology and devastating power. Battles expanded across star systems. Various planets sparked wars. Colonial expansion spread throughout the vast starry sky, and scorching fire filled the vision.
"Excellent. It would be better if these foolish mortals went extinct. It would be a sin if such universes did not disappear."
A cold, cutting voice reached Raditz's ears. The words carried sharp thorns that sent chills down the spine of anyone who heard them. Were such vicious words truly spoken by a god?
Raditz quietly glanced in the direction of the voice.
Zamasu!
Raditz immediately identified him. Green skin, white hair, standard Supreme Kai robes—slender build with a stern demeanor and a sharp gleam in his eyes. He stood behind Gowasu with an overbearing aura and haughty attitude, appearing more like a Supreme Kai than Gowasu himself.
So it was him. Raditz had suspected as much. Zamasu, the trainee Supreme Kai of Universe 10, had always harbored hostility toward mortals. He was similar to how Kibito had once been—though while Kibito had possessed a poor attitude, his methods were relatively gentle. Zamasu, however, was obsessed with eradicating all mortals. He was extremely paranoid.
Seeing the behavior of mortals in the six erased universes now, Zamasu was filled with disgust. He believed their erasure was deserved—that such people and universes deserved to be wiped out!
Hiding behind Lord Gowasu, he couldn't help but mutter quietly under his breath. Unfortunately for him, Raditz's six senses were extraordinarily sharp—he could hear even the smallest whisper.
For now, Zamasu only harbored these ideas in his heart. He hadn't yet put his wishes into practice. But the seeds of evil had already been planted—sooner or later they would germinate and bloom into something terrible. Raditz considered whether to eliminate him preemptively, preventing him from threatening Universe 7's future timeline.
But there was no justification to kill him now. He couldn't exactly claim he expected Zamasu to commit terrible crimes in the future, could he? He wasn't a prophet—such words would be useless. Forget it. As long as Raditz nurtured sufficient strength, regardless of Zamasu's attitude, he would be able to overwhelmingly surpass him when the time came.
Raditz was actually confident he could face even Zamasu's final merged form without defeat.
"There's no need to continue watching. Let's search for other clues. If we find nothing else, we should return and report," someone suggested.
The gods discussed briefly, then dispersed to search the ruins. But Zamasu flew directly toward Raditz. Their eyes met, and Zamasu didn't flinch whatsoever.
"Lord Raditz, were you observing me just now?" Zamasu wore a polite smile on his face. "Do you believe there is something wrong with my perspective?"
Raditz felt a jolt of surprise. His evaluation of this individual immediately rose several levels—it wasn't easy to detect that he'd been watching. But outwardly, Raditz maintained a neutral expression. "No, it was merely coincidence."
"Actually, I've heard Lord Raditz's name for quite some time and admire you greatly. I would very much like to spar with you. I hope you can provide guidance," Zamasu said, bowing respectfully.
After speaking, he fixed Raditz with a bright, unadorned gaze—the same look Raditz had seen in the eyes of Doren, the trainee Supreme Kai of Universe 6.
Gowasu hurriedly intervened. "Zamasu! Don't be rude!"
"It doesn't matter—after all, it's merely a sparring match," Raditz said, waving dismissively. "However... you don't seem to possess the qualifications to spar with me directly."
Zamasu's eyes narrowed slightly at the perceived insult.
"What I mean is, I can recommend someone to compete with you instead. This person is also a trainee Supreme Kai, and his strength is comparable to yours."
"Is there such a person?" Zamasu was genuinely startled. He'd always believed he was exceptionally strong—that aside from actual gods, no one else could match him. It might be true that Raditz could defeat him, but in other universes, there existed apprentices of equivalent strength? Zamasu couldn't quite believe it.
Raditz gestured toward Universe 6's delegation. "Doren, come here."
"Lord Raditz, did you call for me?" Doren and Fuwa had been about to depart when they heard Raditz's summons.
The moment Doren laid eyes on Zamasu, he frowned. A familiar sensation struck him—as if seeing his former self reflected back. That same arrogance and overconfidence. That expression of dismissiveness toward others. They were identical.
"This is Doren, trainee Supreme Kai of Universe 6. He will spar with you, Zamasu. What do you think?"
Zamasu remained silent for a moment, studying Doren's appearance. The corners of his eyes twitched slightly. "Thank you, Lord Raditz. Of course I have no objection."
Doren also nodded, roughly understanding Raditz's intentions.