Chapter 16 – Ultra Instinct
"Ultra Instinct"—or in its complete term, Ultra Instinct Sign—was one of the divine techniques comparable to the "Hakai" wielded by the Gods of Destruction.
A Divine Technique of this caliber was incredibly difficult to comprehend, even for gods themselves. It represented a state of self-transcendence, an advanced realm that could only be reached after surpassing one's own limits. Even among the gods, very few were capable of attaining such a level.
For example, Beerus—the strongest God of Destruction—had also undergone training related to Ultra Instinct.
Yet even he had never fully mastered it. This was closely tied to the very nature of a God of Destruction—whose essence aligned more with its opposite form, Ultra Ego, or Self-Indulgent Instinct, a divine technique built upon a completely different concept.
Unlike conventional combat methods that relied on Ki perception and conscious decision-making, Ultra Instinct allowed the body to react automatically and instinctively, completely free from the mind's interference. The user's speed and response reached levels that were truly unmatched.
In the Ultra Instinct state, the body and consciousness became separate. Every part of the body could instinctively respond to danger before the brain even had the chance to process it.
When someone began showing signs of entering this state but had yet to perfect it, the form was known as Ultra Instinct Sign—the user's hair would manifest silver streaks, and their pupils would turn silver.
But if the technique was fully activated, the hair would turn completely silver-white, the body enveloped in a shimmering silver aura, and the user's speed and responsiveness would reach their absolute peak.
This was the form Son Goku used when he defeated Jiren—yet in reality, that form was merely the gateway to Ultra Instinct.
In the Dragon Ball Super manga, it was explained that to trigger Ultra Instinct, one must achieve absolute tranquility of mind.
No distractions, no personal ambitions—just a heart perfectly in tune with the world around them.
According to the Angel Whis, the silver hair was simply the manifestation of the technique. Angels, because of their pure and perfect form of existence, were almost always in a state of Ultra Instinct even if their bodies showed no physical changes.
Even Goku, near the end of the manga's story, eventually learned to use Ultra Instinct without any physical transformation—and could even combine it with Super Saiyan forms, creating hybrid states never seen before.
However, when Goku first entered the silver-haired form with its overwhelming aura, he referred to it as Full Power Ultra Instinct—a form that placed immense strain on both body and mind.
Because of that, this form couldn't be used for long. Goku himself nearly lost to Jiren despite having reached the threshold of divine power.
And the truth was—since the moment Tachibana Kyūjō was born into this world, his soul had already met the spiritual requirements to trigger Ultra Instinct.
The only obstacle had been his physical body, which wasn't yet ready to contain such overwhelming power...
But triggering Ultra Instinct was merely the first step.
Even Goku, after fully mastering the technique, no longer felt burdened by it. Over time, it became a divine force ingrained into his very being. And according to Whis—this was only the beginning of everything...
— — —
Inside the Golden Flash ship, Merus, the trainee Angel, was recalling his older brother Whis's teachings about Ultra Instinct.
He gazed at Tachibana Kyūjō with deep admiration.
This young man... possessed the potential to become a "god."
His talent for Ultra Instinct wasn't inferior to that of the Angels. Should Merus recommend him to his older brother for training as an Angel apprentice?
But after thinking it through, Merus withdrew the thought. It was too early. He still didn't understand Kyūjō's personality well enough. It would be better to observe him longer...
But before he could finish his thoughts, Kyūjō had already spoken first.
"Excuse me, Mr. Merus... is there anything else you wanted to discuss? It seems I'll be leaving the base soon."
Kyūjō was wary. This man called Merus was far too mysterious. And as someone still in the middle of his growth phase, Kyūjō didn't want to get too involved. Who knew what this man's true motives were?
Merus paused for a moment, then spoke calmly:
"Tachibana Kyūjō, although your strength is nothing to take lightly, your target—Demon Star—is not an easy opponent. This is your first mission, so I intend to go with you. What do you think?"
After thinking for a moment, Kyūjō nodded and replied:
"Thank you, Mr. Merus. But there is one thing I'd like to say first—if a fight breaks out, please don't interfere. No matter what happens, that battle belongs to me."
Merus nodded lightly, indicating his agreement. Besides, he, too, wanted to see the extent of Kyūjō's potential.
Of course, if Kyūjō truly couldn't handle Demon Star, Merus would intervene. He wouldn't let a fellow member perish before his eyes.
Even though he was forbidden from using Angel powers, against an opponent like Demon Star—whose power level didn't even reach two million—Merus only needed to move his hand to subdue him.
(In the Moro Arc, Merus had even used nothing but an electric baton to take down both Goku and Vegeta at the same time—despite their power having already reached unimaginable heights...)
Merus was known as the kindest among the Angels.
If he weren't, he would've never joined the Galactic Patrol. In the manga's story, he even violated the neutrality rules of the Angels just to help Goku defeat Moro.
In the end, because of his violation, Merus lost all his Angel powers and vanished from existence...
However, the Grand Priest, father of all Angels in the Dragon Ball universe, used his power to restore Merus back to life.
But as the price for his transgression, Merus permanently lost his Angel powers—and could only live as an ordinary human, serving as a member of the Galactic Patrol.
— — —
After Merus promised he wouldn't "steal the monster" from him, Kyūjō said nothing more. He immediately instructed the ship's crew to activate the navigation system and head toward the planet where Demon Star was last detected.
— — —
On the outskirts of Universe Seven, there was a bright blue planet named Gurin—from the outside, it looked remarkably similar to Earth.
Now, the Golden Flash had arrived in orbit above the planet.
In an instant, the ship tore through space and time via a dimensional corridor, appearing directly at the destination point.
Even Merus was momentarily stunned as he looked at the unfamiliar scenery through the ship's window.
This ship... who built it?
Forget ordinary humans—even his older brother Whis needed time to travel this far. But the Golden Flash had made the trip in mere moments...
"Kyūjō, this ship of yours... where exactly was it made?" Merus asked seriously. "Its technology is far too advanced. Even the Galactic Patrol Headquarters has never heard of something like this."
But Kyūjō simply pointed toward the dark, empty space beyond planet Gurin. "Mr. Merus... I can tell you about this ship. But... could you answer one thing first?"
"This place is listed as the boundary region of Universe Seven in the Galactic Patrol's central system... But if we were to cross that boundary, would we reach another Universe?"
Merus only stared at him with a peculiar expression.
Then... he slowly shook his head, without saying a single word.
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