"Alright."
Beerus raised a single finger, a faint violet glow blooming at his fingertip.
Crack!
That light pierced through the starry void, causing a minor collapse in the surrounding space. Even from that, one could tell how terrifyingly powerful its wielder was.
"Go."
Beerus flicked his finger, and the purple gleam shot into a nearby desolate planet.
Buzz!
There was no earth-shattering explosion—only a shimmer of violet starlight. Then, the barren planet vanished without a trace.
"Phew…"
Beerus exhaled, then turned his head. "Any more planets left to destroy?"
"Although there are still a handful of planets on the verge of being deemed unqualified," Whis replied with a calm smile, "for now, it seems all that needed to be destroyed has been destroyed."
"Good."
Beerus rolled his neck, feeling a bit weary after half a year of nonstop planet purging.
"Oh-hoho~"
Whis chuckled softly. "I've never seen you this serious before, Lord Beerus. What brought on the sudden diligence?"
"None of your business," Beerus snapped irritably.
"Hehe, you don't have to tell me—I already know."
"Oh? Then by all means, enlighten me."
"It's because of that boy, Gran, isn't it?"
Whis covered his mouth, laughing in amusement.
"…"
Beerus clenched his fist, grumbling. "Whis, you really know how to get on my nerves sometimes."
Ignoring his master's glare, Whis continued, "Oh-hoho~ If I'm not mistaken, the reason you've been so industrious lately is because you're afraid of being erased by the Omni-King, no?"
"If you were to die, Gran would inherit your position. And once that happens, he'd be exposed—vulnerable. To think the great Lord Beerus could be sentimental for once!"
"…"
Beerus opened his mouth, then said nothing.
"But still…"
Whis glanced at Beerus, then shifted his gaze toward the sea of stars.
"That boy's talent truly is frightening. Even his temperament—he's nothing like those Saiyans who only know destruction and killing."
"The best part, though, is his cooking. His food really is the most delicious in the entire universe."
"Round little face, cheerful attitude—it's quite entertaining spending time with him."
"Speaking of which…"
Whis turned back to Beerus with a teasing grin. "My, my—Lord Beerus, you're practically attached at the hip with Gran these days. No wonder you're so concerned about him!"
Beerus acted as though he hadn't heard a word. He merely pouted. "Let's go."
"Heading back already, Lord Beerus?"
Whis chuckled a bit longer, then decided not to push further.
"No. We're paying Frieza a visit."
"As you wish."
Whis didn't bother asking why. With a gentle tap of his staff, he and Beerus vanished in a flash of light.
Meanwhile, in the faraway realm of the Supreme Kai
"Damn it! Who did this?!"
Supreme Kai Shin's face turned crimson with fury as he sensed yet another planet's destruction.
"Lord Supreme Kai!" Kibito said anxiously. "Should we pursue the culprit again?"
"Pursue? And how exactly? Every time we get there, they're already gone!"
Shin gritted his teeth. "In just half a year, over twenty thousand planets have been obliterated. Twenty thousand! How deranged and ruthless can one being be?!"
Those planets would take him ages to recreate. The very thought made his divine scalp tingle.
That bastard deserved to die!
At that very moment, somewhere in the cosmos, Beerus sneezed.
"Lord Supreme Kai, could it be Majin Buu?"
"No," Shin replied firmly. "Though Buu's power is dreadful and his nature evil, once we detect his presence, he's not fast enough to evade us. This… this is someone else."
"Then what do we do now, my lord?"
"What else can we do? We'll just have to recreate all those missing planets again!"
Supreme Kai Shin roared, nearly hysterical.
The two deities vanished from the Sacred World of the Kai.
Whis and Beerus streaked through the cosmic sea, unaware of the Supreme Kai's despair.
Had Beerus known that all the planets he painstakingly destroyed were being recreated, his face would surely be a sight to behold.
Twenty seconds later
They entered the North Galaxy. The moment their presence brushed the region, the North Kai's forehead broke out in cold sweat.
But…
Seeing that neither of the two gods seemed interested in coming to his planet, the short, plump North Kai relaxed slightly.
Until his expression suddenly froze.
"Wait—Lord Beerus is heading to Frieza's headquarters?!"
Inside a grand palace at Frieza's base of operations
Frieza reclined comfortably on his hovering pod when his eyelid twitched violently, a bad feeling creeping up his spine.
"What's this…? Did I not rest enough?" he muttered to himself, frowning.
Suddenly
"Frieza."
A cold, echoing voice filled the hall.
"Who dares address the Emperor of the Universe by name?!" Frieza barked instinctively.
"'Emperor'? The Emperor of the Universe?"
Standing in the center of the throne room, Beerus and Whis looked down at him.
"Frieza," Beerus said coldly, "you've grown quite bold."
That voice!!
Frieza froze. His blood ran cold. Slowly, he turned his head.
Hissssss!
A chilling breath escaped him as terror gripped his soul.
He leapt from his pod and bowed ninety degrees. "I… I did not realize the most exalted Lord Beerus had graced us with his divine presence! Please forgive my rudeness!"
Damn it! Wasn't Beerus supposed to be asleep?!
Beerus said nothing. Step by step, he approached the throne, Whis following close behind.
Frieza immediately understood—Beerus meant to sit on his throne.
But how could he object? This was the true Emperor of the Universe before him.
Beerus sat, crossing one leg over the other. "I told you to wipe out the Saiyans. Did you do it?"
Whis shot him a sidelong glance, mildly surprised at his purpose here.
"T-That…"
Frieza kept his head bowed. His face turned deathly pale.
Those filthy Saiyan monkeys… what had they done to deserve this level of divine attention?!
"Answer me."
Beerus's voice dropped into a low growl. A burst of killing intent surged from him, shaking the entire palace.
"I… I haven't yet, my lord!"
Frieza tried to explain
BOOM!
A wave of divine pressure crushed him flat against the floor.
"Gah!!"
Blood burst from his mouth. His body trembled violently, bones cracking under the weight.
Damn you, Beerus…!
"Frieza," Beerus said icily, "I hear you've spared quite a few Saiyans. Even Vegeta still lives, doesn't he?"
"Yes!"
Frieza's teeth ground together as he bowed even lower.
In the next instant, Beerus vanished from the throne—only to reappear with his foot pressing down on Frieza's head.
"You dare defy my command? Tired of living, are you?"
Crack!
The bones beneath Beerus's divine pressure shattered. Frieza coughed up another mouthful of blood.
"I-I was wrong! Please, Lord Beerus, spare my life!"