Silence descended across the arena.
The moment Belmod eliminated Sidra—God of Destruction of Universe Nine—by knocking him off the platform, the entire dynamic of the battle shifted irreversibly. The coordinated assault against Beerus dissolved like smoke.
The worst part was that Belmod's justification made perfect sense.
Although this was technically just an exhibition match, there would still be a winner declared. Fighting Beerus collectively provided no individual benefit—even if they succeeded in eliminating him eventually, only the person who actually landed the finishing blow would receive credit.
So what were the rest of them working so hard for? They'd simply be exhausting themselves so that opportunistic cowards—those who pretended to participate while conserving their strength—could swoop in and claim victory.
Case in point: Belmod showed minimal physical exhaustion and bore no obvious injuries. He'd clearly been holding back throughout the entire battle, yet at the critical moment, he'd delivered a fatal blow to Sidra—someone supposedly on the same side against Beerus.
"Oh my... Lord Belmod..." Toppo couldn't help exclaiming from Universe Eleven's spectator area, watching the field's transformation with mixed emotions.
Marcarita laughed softly. "This is Lord Belmod's brilliance. Brute force alone cannot win competitions. Only by combining strength with strategy can you achieve ultimate victory. Lord Belmod is teaching you all a valuable lesson."
Throughout the viewing platform, reactions varied. Some absorbed the tactical insight seriously, storing it away for their own matches. Others rejected such underhanded methods on principle. Jiren, seated at the far end of Universe Eleven's section, kept his eyes closed—completely unconcerned with the exhibition match's developments, lost in his own meditative state.
Roh from Universe Nine screamed accusations of treachery, jumping up and down in impotent rage.
But Belmod on the battlefield paid him no attention whatsoever. No amount of screaming could change the fundamental fact: he was currently winning. His only remaining objective? Stay on the platform.
"Heh. Seems that clown helped us," Beerus sneered.
"He's been lying dormant this entire time, waiting for the perfect opportunity," Raditz observed, studying Belmod carefully. His expression shifted through several calculations. He'd originally considered Quitela the most dangerous opponent, but now... Universe Eleven's God of Destruction demanded serious attention.
This clown-like figure claimed to embody justice, yet his actions were weird and treacherous—creating a profound sense of unease.
All the Gods of Destruction lost their unified direction, uncertain whether they should continue the coordinated assault on Beerus or pursue different strategies.
Then Liquiir's eyes locked onto a tempting target. Giin, God of Destruction of Universe Twelve, had sustained serious injuries and landed in a remote section of the arena—isolated and vulnerable, exactly like Sidra had been moments ago.
Liquiir's expression shifted to predatory focus. His tail flicked violently, building tremendous momentum.
The tail split into multiple segments, each segment igniting with blinding light that stung the eyes. Energy spheres formed at the open ends like a peacock's tail feathers, each glowing orb radiating heat like miniature stars.
A sharp whirlwind erupted around Liquiir's position, and the spheres of light launched forward, streaking toward Giin with deadly intent.
"Liquiir, you—!" The nearest God of Destruction gasped, shocked by the sudden betrayal.
But in that moment, understanding rippled through all remaining combatants. They suddenly, collectively comprehended what they needed to do.
Stay on the platform. Eliminate as many others as possible. As for Beerus? Screw Beerus.
The Gods of Destruction descended into chaotic free-for-all combat. Figures appeared in the void only to vanish instantly, light flickering up and down throughout the space in dizzying patterns.
Raditz and Beerus found themselves abandoned—standing in the arena's center with nobody challenging them anymore.
"What just happened?" Raditz felt oddly hollow, anticipating attacks that never came.
"Doesn't matter. Our objective remains unchanged." Beerus's gaze locked with Quitela's across the battlefield, sparks practically visible between them. "And he hasn't given up on me."
These eternal rivals refused to abandon their personal grudge. No matter how fierce and complicated the surrounding battle became, they needed to determine a winner between themselves.
Raditz waved dismissively. "Then I'll handle the others. Lord Beerus—try not to fall off."
"Your tone is becoming more and more like Whis's. So irritating. I can handle Quitela alone!"
Beerus exploded forward, charging toward Quitela with lightning speed, his entire body wreathed in purple flames of destruction. Raditz watched briefly with indifference, then threw himself into the chaotic melee.
Time to eliminate some Gods of Destruction.
Liquiir and Heles were engaged in fierce combat, and Rumsshi—the elephant-like destroyer—was preparing to join the fray. Raditz moved faster, intervening at superhuman speed that made space itself seem to distort slightly.
His fists struck Liquiir and Heles simultaneously—devastating blows that penetrated their bodies and displaced the very air behind them with explosive force!
BOOM! BOOM!
At that precise moment, Rumsshi charged in from another angle. The brutal impact carried unmatched destructive power, forcing Raditz to dodge rather than press his advantage.
Behind him, Mosco's massive mechanical hand descended—strong enough to crater the supposedly indestructible arena. Fortunately, Raditz possessed Perfect Ultra Instinct. Every pore across his body judged danger instinctively, his form rotating with impossible flexibility to avoid the crushing pressure.
Liquiir's tail reignited with flame. Heles had already drawn her bow, energy arrow nocked. Both aimed at Raditz with synchronized hostility.
"Damn it, Mosco," Raditz muttered, creating distance. He hadn't expected the mechanical destroyer to appear behind him like that—otherwise, he'd already have scored eliminations.
Facing the two menacing attacks from Liquiir and Heles, Raditz's form suddenly vanished. He reappeared instantly beside Heles, his palm gently adjusting the direction of her drawn bow.
TWANG!
The arrow released at point-blank range. Liquiir had no time to react—he hadn't anticipated Raditz redirecting Heles's shot! The sharp arrow light pierced toward his eyes, and he could only block instinctively with his arm!
The energy arrow punched clean through Liquiir's forearm.
Heles stood frozen in shock, then her body convulsed—a severe cramping pain erupting in her abdomen. While redirecting the bow, Raditz had also struck her! His fist buried itself in her stomach and twisted, the powerful impact contorting her face grotesquely. After a brief moment of suspended time, Heles went flying backward.
"DAMN YOU!" Liquiir endured the pain and fired all the light spheres gathered on his tail segments directly at Raditz. Mosco simultaneously released a massive beam of energy. And Rumsshi roared—unleashing the most powerful sonic attack in the multiverse!
Everyone below God of Destruction level collapsed under the auditory assault. Even Goku and the others who had touched preparatory divine status felt their entire bodies go numb, muscles refusing to respond.
Liquiir also lost strength temporarily after firing his maximum energy output, but he didn't care—because Raditz should be equally weakened! At this powerless moment, both his energy spheres and Mosco's beam would bombard Raditz's defenseless body.
Simultaneously, Rumsshi—as the only combatant still capable of movement—charged toward Raditz's position. He'd calculated the timing perfectly: immediately after Raditz absorbed the combined bombardment, he'd be vulnerable to a ring-out.
But Raditz moved.
He turned like an elegant dancer, weaving through Liquiir's light spheres with fluid grace. He even circled around the massive beam fired by Mosco in a show-off display, his body as light as a swallow's flight.
He showed no limitation whatsoever.
Not only that—Raditz actually redirected Liquiir's light spheres, sending them spiraling toward the charging Rumsshi. The explosive power detonated, raising a massive cloud of smoke and dust.
Rumsshi, caught completely off-guard, absorbed Liquiir's ultimate technique with shocked surprise. When he finally emerged from the smoke cloud, his entire body was covered in burns and lacerations.
Raditz appeared beside him in that moment of vulnerability, delivering a flying kick that sent the elephant-like destroyer tumbling off the platform.
"Your Ultra Instinct..." Liquiir's eyes shook with genuine horror. "It's perfect..."
In the spectator stands, Goku exclaimed in amazement: "The perfected state of Ultra Instinct can counter techniques from God of Destruction level opponents! It's not just dodging—he's completely controlling the flow of combat!"
"Not only that," Whis added with his characteristic smile. "Raditz is integrating this state into his fundamental being."
"What do you mean?"
"He's fusing the realm of Ultra Instinct with his base form—making it so he doesn't need to transform to access this power. In his normal state, without any visible change, he can exert supreme strength." Whis's eyes gleamed with approval. "That, in truth, is what genuine mastery represents. Not a temporary transformation that drains stamina—but a permanent elevation of one's existence."
Goku's eyes widened, understanding crystallizing. This was the level he needed to reach. Not just accessing Ultra Instinct in desperate moments, but becoming Ultra Instinct itself.