After a thorough search, the Supreme Kais of the major universes found no additional anomalies. Aside from the disappearance of Angel from Universe 18, everything appeared unchanged.
Everyone finally decided to return first and develop a long-term strategy.
Twelve Potara earrings glowed in unison, transporting them back to the assembly venue and sealing the dimensional gateway behind them. There was only one path to the Ancient Ruins—not even the Supreme Kai of Time or Demon Realm sorcerers could open that passage through any other means.
Back at the venue, everyone breathed collective sighs of relief. The oppressive atmosphere from the ancient place dissipated, and they all felt considerably more relaxed.
A sacred ambiance enveloped the entire space. In the indifferent silence of pristine whiteness, the Supreme Kais took their seats once more.
Everyone restrained their emotions, slowly relaxed their bodies, and reinvested themselves in the discussion at hand.
"The prophecy hasn't yet come to pass, but the strange occurrences in the Ancient Ruins have revealed certain troubling facts. At minimum, this prophecy is already showing tangible signs of manifestation," Anato said gravely, glancing at the assembled group and expecting someone to contribute. "What are your thoughts?"
Shin hesitated briefly, then spoke up. "I have a question. Isn't an Angel's function supposed to cease when their God of Destruction dies? How did Mirto manage to leave?"
"Hmph! If we knew how he left, this would be much simpler! I'm afraid we'll have to consult the Grand Priest himself!" Roh snorted coldly.
"No one knows the answer, but perhaps if we understand this problem, we can unravel some of the secrets behind the prophecy," someone suggested.
Anato contemplated the prophecy in his heart. Combined with what they'd just witnessed, he felt the two matters were intimately connected. As Supreme Kais, they'd done everything within their capability. The rest would need to be left to the Grand Priest and higher authorities.
His eyes fell on Raditz almost unconsciously. He'd always felt this newly-appointed Supreme Kai was extraordinary—not only in terms of raw strength, but also in his calm and capable handling of situations. There was something inexplicably reliable about him.
Perhaps Raditz had insights to share?
"Do you have any suggestions, Lord Raditz?" Anato directed the question toward him.
"Ah? Me?" Raditz was caught completely off guard, standing up in surprise—exactly like being called on unexpectedly by a teacher in class. His bewildered performance drew laughter from the assembled deities.
Old Kai and Shin's faces both flushed slightly with embarrassment.
But Raditz quickly composed himself. "My opinion aligns with the other Supreme Kais. Since this matter exceeds our ability to handle directly, we should defer to higher authorities. However, each universe should prepare itself. If the entity hiding in the shadows decides to launch an attack, we cannot afford to be caught unprepared."
"Hmph! That's it? You think it's that simple?" Roh interjected with obvious disdain.
"It is that simple for Universe 7. As long as Mirto himself doesn't appear, I'm not afraid of anything else," Raditz said calmly. He had no intention of engaging extensively with Roh—after explaining his general position, he stopped speaking.
But Roh's eyebrows shot up dramatically, his face twitching with irritation. "Is Universe 7 truly that arrogant? As far as I'm aware, your universe's mortal level ranking isn't particularly high, correct? And among so many universes, only yours has three Supreme Kais present. What justifies such special treatment?"
Ultimately, strength measured a universe's standing—not just the power of its gods, but the overall average level of its inhabitants. Though everyone held the same Supreme Kai status, those from higher-ranked universes naturally commanded more respect and authority.
Universe 9's strength wasn't impressive, but Universe 7 wasn't much better—which made Roh extremely dissatisfied with Universe 7's confident behavior. Logically, gods—especially Supreme Kais—shouldn't harbor such jealousy and resentment. But Roh seemed to be an exception. It was unclear how he'd been selected as Supreme Kai in the first place. No wonder Universe 9 couldn't become powerful under the leadership of someone like him.
Hearing Roh's confrontational questioning, everyone fell silent.
Anato frowned. "Roh, isn't that rather harsh?"
Since the beginning, tension had been building between Roh and Raditz. Anato believed that as fellow Supreme Kais, they should maintain harmony—there was no need to quarrel over minor matters. But Raditz didn't mind such confrontations at all. If someone wanted to speak with strength, then he'd use strength to strike back!
If this kind of dispute occurred between Gods of Destruction without Angels present to control the situation, they would have already come to blows. Raditz wasn't a traditional Supreme Kai—he'd broken many conventions, and he wasn't intimidated by confrontation.
"Lord Anato, I think Lord Roh makes an excellent point!" Raditz said with a sharp smile. "But... I'd like to ask Lord Roh something: What's wrong with Universe 7 having three Supreme Kais present?"
"You—" Roh found himself speechless, caught off guard by Raditz turning the question back on him.
Then Raditz spoke again, his voice carrying absolute confidence. "You're absolutely right—Universe 7 is arrogant. So what are you going to do about it?"
"The fact that Universe 9's level isn't high doesn't mean Universe 7's level isn't high as well. Universe 7 five years ago and Universe 7 today are no longer on the same tier. Our universe can now rank at least among the top five!" Raditz opened his palm and displayed his five fingers prominently before everyone.
The assembled Supreme Kais were shocked by Raditz's bold declaration. Never before had a Supreme Kai spoken in such a manner! Shin was also growing anxious—all the etiquette he'd painstakingly taught Raditz had apparently been completely forgotten! The one speaking now wasn't Raditz the Supreme Kai, but Raditz the Saiyan!
Roh's entire presence was instantly suppressed. Raditz's five fingers pointed directly at him, the pressure so overwhelming that he couldn't formulate a response.
However, everyone else was equally surprised. Universe 7's level had been far behind the top five. How could it possibly have bridged such an enormous gap in merely five years? Even with someone like Raditz... that seemed impossible.
What they didn't know was that Raditz had designed a comprehensive five-year development plan for the entire universe half a decade ago, specifically to raise the average level throughout all its sectors. Through systematic training programs, strategic resource allocation, and careful cultivation of powerful warriors, the overall strength of Universe 7's inhabitants had multiplied several times over. That's why Raditz possessed this confidence—and he even felt that given sufficient time, Universe 7 could reach the pinnacle and claim the number one position.
"Do you have any further questions, Lord Roh, Supreme Kai of Universe 9?" Raditz raised his eyebrows challengingly.
"I... I..." Roh could only stammer the same word repeatedly, as if his tongue had been tied and he couldn't move it properly.
"If you have no objections, please sit down and rest quietly for a while. My statement is concluded. Thank you for your attention."
Raditz sat down with a composed smile. At the last moment, he'd finally remembered the formal etiquette Shin had taught him, acting as if nothing unusual had transpired.
The stunned Supreme Kais audibly swallowed, exchanging blank looks with one another.
They'd just witnessed an entirely new facet of Supreme Kai Raditz.