Chapter 67
"…a hand caught the cat's thin wrist inches away from Zangya's cheek. Beerus looked to the side to see the fierce smile, and deadly gaze of Son Gohan.
"You know, I didn't mind you coming here to destroy me all that much." The teen said casually. "But what you tried just now? Well, let's just say you're gonna regret it."
Beerus stared at the hand that held his wrist with an unreadable expression. "Strong grip." He said after a moment. Gohan opened his mouth to make a witty response, but within the instant it took for the neurons to fire, Beerus extended his arm with a snap, breaking loose from the Saiyan's grasp and punching Gohan center chest in one fluid motion. A ripple spread out from Gohan's chest and developed into a sonic blast, toppling tables and guests as it swelled in magnitude. Gohan's front looked like it was trying to escape out the back, the rest of his body following suit as he shot away from Beerus like a comet, ploughing through trees and rock formations for miles.
Beerus retracted his arm and placed both hands behind his back. "Very strong, for a mortal." The cat frowned. "But not nearly as strong as I was promised."
The destroyer's attack was near instantaneous, and only a few individuals present were able to register that any movement had occurred. To everyone else, the scene appeared as though Gohan had disappeared right after touching Beerus. They were too stunned for words. Seeing Gohan, the most powerful being any of them could have imagined, obliterated so easily was beyond all comprehension for them. They were all speechless. All but one.
The god of destruction turned back to Zangya, who still looked unconcerned. "Looks like you should have offered him that final meal. After all I'd heard of him, I expected him to entertain me for longer than a single punch."
Zangya furrowed her brow. "Oh yeah? Well, if you think I'm going to let you do as you please here, then you've got another thing coming." Zangya jumped back and dropped to her fighting stance. Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out something that looked like a skinny black pen. "I've got just the thing for you. Now… BEHOOOOLD!"
A click was heard, but nothing seemed to happen. 18 and Krillin looked at Zangya with horror, believing that she had finally cracked. This opinion was beginning to be shared by the others when Zangya started to make strange noises.
"Psps. Pspsps."
Beerus's eyes drifted to the floor and he saw a red dot dancing on the ground in front of him. His eyes grew wide and his pupils flitted back and forth rapidly, following the laser pointer's movements.
"Come on kitty. Get the light." Zangya coaxed in a cutesy voice. "Oh no! The lights gone! Now it's back! Can you catch it? Bet ya can't."
A vein was pulsing on the god's temple, his teeth were bare, and his fur was standing on end.
"GRAAA!" He roared as he closed the distance, took the laser pointer and crushed it in his paw. He grabbed Zangya by the front of her shirt and held her up so her nose was nearly touching his. "I was wrong about you, girl. You're far more annoying than that damn woman! I was just going to kill that boy and leave, but your impudence just cost you your life as well! Don't have anything clever to say about that, now do you!?"
"Sorry." Zangya said.
"Oh, I am beyond apologies." Beerus growled.
"Not about the laser." The girl clarified by pointing to the sky.
Beerus looked up to see an unnatural darkness creeping across the sky. Black storm clouds formed and thunder and lightning dancing against the velvet backdrop. A fierce wind tore through the mountain range, uprooting trees and dislodging boulders. Beerus's ears twitched to pick up a steady and bone chilling sound emanating from miles away.
"Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa"
The sound echoed all around them, reverberating in the destroyer's very soul. The cat dropped Zangya, who quickly jumped away from him, and he turned toward the sound.
"I see…" He said quietly with an intrigued expression. Then, his look became feral, with a toothy smile to match. "This is more like it."
"HaaaaaaaaaaaAAAAA!" When the sound hit the crescendo, a pillar of black and white energy shot into the sky, lingering for a moment before dissipating.
"Color me impressed." Beerus smiled. "Though I am a bit confused why you chose not to at least attempt a sucker punch."
He turned around and Gohan was standing right behind him, a dark, otherworldly aura rolling off him. The teen looked down at the destroyer with his bright red eyes and tilted his head. "Sucker punch? Half of me is insulted you think I need to resort to such things."
Not a second later, a fist impacted against Beerus cheek, and the god of destruction was airborne, a second Gohan standing in his place.
"The other half thinks it was a great idea though." So saying, both Gohan's merged into one and chased after Beerus.
Whis smiled and nodded, before walking over to Zangya. The Hera was on her guard as the angel addressed her. "Pardon me miss, but might I trouble you for a bite of some of that scrumptious looking food over there?"
"Uh…" Zangya looked over at the food table that had a translucent energy barrier. She looked back to Whis. "Did you-"
"You never know what collateral damage may occur when lord Beerus starts fighting." The angel nodded. "Better safe than sorry. You see, spectating is so much more enjoyable while indulging in a little something."
"Oh. Well…" She paused for a moment to think things over. "Yeah, that is true. Plates at the far end of the table. As long as watching your cat get trounced won't make you lose your appetite."
"Ohoho!" Whis laughed. "I think I'll be just fine."
Break
Beerus sailed through the air until he was out of the mountains and over the plains. He stopped abruptly and growled indignantly. He spun around, catching a side kick from Gohan by the ankle. With his other leg, Gohan aimed a round kick at the cat's head, but this was caught just as easily. Beerus tightened his grip and pulled him in for a knee strike to the back, but before he could land it, Gohan launched a powerful ki blast from his feet. Somehow, the destroyer was able to dodge this impromptu attack while maintaining his hold on Gohan.
"You're a clever little devil, aren't you?" Beerus chuckled, then started to spin like a corkscrew as he dove toward the ground.
"Just wait till the real fight gets going!" Gohan replied.
Just before the god could slam Gohan into the earth, Gohan's energy attack came back, and Beerus released one of the ankles to avoid getting struck by the attack. The Saiyan twisted his body so he could grab Beerus by the ankle.
"HAAAA!"
Gohan released a mouth cannon, that merely singed Beerus's arm, but did succeed in forcing him to release his grip. The teen summersaulted and launched his opponent like a trebuchet, sending the cat burrowing into the planet's crust. Extending two fingers from each hand, Gohan brought them both to his forehead and the energy crackled as it gathered and compressed.
Beerus shot out of his hole, winding up a kick to punish his opponent with, but just before he launched it, his form multiplied, his movements so fast that it appeared as if a dozen more cats appeared. Gohan kept his cool, turning at the last instant so the kick landed on his forearms, all the while his hands still charging at his forehead. He couldn't help but wince at the impact, and when Beerus followed up his attack by warping behind him and landing another kick in the boy's oblique, he elicited a grunt of pain. Beerus came in for another blow, and as he was right on Gohan, the Saiyan finally pointed his fingers outward.
"DOUBLE BEAM CANNON!"
The drill like energy burst forth, zeroing in on Beerus. The cat jumped to the side, only for the beams to sharply change their course to follow him. With agility that surpassed anything that Gohan had ever seen, Beerus deftly avoided the two beams as they zigged and zagged around him, attempting to box him in. The destroyer almost seemed like this was little more than a game to him, incorporating acrobatics in his evasion more to show off, rather than to assist in dodging.
"Interesting little attack." Beerus smirked as he performed a backflip, causing one beam to go over him and the other below him in the opposite direction. "The shape of the energy seems useful, not to mention it's power output. I suspect you could take down an opponent several times your strength with an attack like this.
"That's the idea." Gohan raised his hands above his head, still maintaining control of the beams with his mind. "MASENKO HA!"
Three purple-yellow blasts erupted toward the god, the teen warping around his opponent so each one came from a different angle. Now the destroyer was in the middle of 5 powerful attacks, all of them set to reach him at the same time.
Beerus twisted sideways and with a flick of his tail, and two rapid kicks, he sent the masenkos flying away. Then, he stretched out his hands, and caught the special beam cannons in each one. Gohan's eyes went wide, but his surprise lasted only a moment, and he willed his attacks to keep pushing. The beams spun wildly against Beerus's palms, and now it was Beerus who's eyes widened with surprise as his hands were being forced closer to his face.
"HYAAH!" Beerus yelled and twisted his hands counter to the spin of the beams. Both of them expanded at the head before shooting off in opposite directions and exploding in the distance.
"Well, that could have been dangerous, couldn't it." Beerus smiled, his tone indicating a lack of sincerity. "I have to admit, you are a bit more fun than I expected."
"Really?" Gohan asked. "Here I thought you were just here to destroy me. I didn't realize you wanted a playmate."
"I prefer to mix business with pleasure." Beerus replied. "I did come here for work, but since you've turned out to be so amusing, I don't see why you can't provide me with a bit of entertainment before I send you to the afterlife."
"Careful." Gohan warned with a smile. "I might turn out to be too amusing for you to finish the job."
"Hm. Doubtful. Though I must say, your transformation is quite formidable, all things considered. How did you obtain it?" The destroyer asked.
"Long story." Gohan answered. "You wouldn't want me to interrupt the 'entertainment', would you?"
"Ha!" Beerus actually laughed at this. "Good point. But you could at least tell me what you call this form."
"Super Saiyan demon." Gohan said.
"Hmm…" Beerus reflected on that name. Something about it struck a chord in his memory, but he couldn't quite place it. He shrugged it off for the time being. "Alright, super Saiyan demon. You've given me a good appetizer. Now, show me how you really stack up to a god."
"Sure thing." Gohan cracked his knuckles and rolled his shoulders. "Just be careful. Wouldn't want you to choke on the main course."
In all honesty, Gohan was incredibly excited to fight Beerus. Here was an opponent that he could really go all out against. If the destroyer was really as dangerous as Towa said, then this was a chance to test the limits of his power. Slug had come close, but he was too preoccupied with rescuing Goten and Trunks to really enjoy it. He crouched down into his demon clan fighting stance, while Beerus remained upright.
"Are you ready to begin?" Beerus taunted.
"Sure. I mean, you didn't give me much of a warm up earlier." Gohan quipped. "But I doubt I'll be pulling any muscles against a house pet."
The god of destruction narrowed his eyes. He vanished from view and Gohan did the same, both fighters reappearing in the middle with a colossal boom as Beerus blocked an elbow strike with his hand. They flickered to another location, their legs crashing against each other in an exchange of high kicks. Again, they vanished, coming into view with Beerus bringing a hammer fist down on Gohan's guard. The series of rapid exchanges continued, each new contact producing an earth-shaking report. They became so numerous and happened so fast that it sounded like the gods were popping divine corn. The blasts from the collisions dissipated any cloud in the sky and tore up the earth below. Some attacks produced tornados, others shot streaks of lightning through the air due to the sheer amount of fluctuating energy.
Beerus blocked a knee from Gohan and countered with a knife hand chop. His attack sliced through the air as Gohan ducked beneath it and the scything air pressure sliced a distant mountain's top off. The Saiyan jumped back up, slamming his head into Beerus' chin. The destroyer reeled back for a moment, then Gohan followed up with a front push kick. Beerus diverted the foot with an open hand, then rapidly shifted the defensive move into a punch that Gohan just barely brought a cross guard up in time to block it. Beerus continued to land blow after bone crushing blow on his opponent's defenses, pushing the Saiyan further back each time. Beerus reeled his fist back and rushed in to unleash his next attack, while Gohan chose this time to counter with an upper cut. All his fist cut was thin air, Beerus having changed course at the last minute and hitting Gohan with a spinning roundhouse in his back, sending the teen off like a shot.
As the hybrid spun across the planet and over a wasteland, where Beerus caught up and axe kicked him to the ground. Gohan was able to slow his fall enough so his impact only created a large crater instead of a hole straight down to the core. Beerus landed behind him, and threw a straight punch at the teen's temple. Gohan used a side block to divert the blow, then thrust his palm into Beerus sternum, making the cat stagger back. The young warrior tried to press in, but the destroyer, kept him at bay with a series of rapid jabs. Gohan kept trying to exploit an opening, dancing around the opponent, weaving his head through the barrage, but was always forced back before he could get a hit in. The destroyer increased his punching speed, finally managing to strike Gohan in the face, and he threw a right hook to follow up. The teen, caught the incoming wrist with both hands and threw Beerus overhead, slamming him into the ground. Massive chunks of rock flew up, and Gohan spun the cat around by his arm, pulverizing each boulder with ease.
The destroyer twisted his body, touched the ground briefly, then jumped up and nailed the side of Gohan's head with a horizontal knee strike. Gohan let go of Beerus as he staggered, then attacked him with a spinning back hand. The destroyer flipped over the arm before sending a back kick at the teen. Gohan caught the foot and tossed it up, making Beerus flip, and the Saiyan hit the cat mid flip with a solid uppercut to the back.
"Gah!" Beerus gasped, then wrapped his tail around Gohan's wrist and flung him into the air. Gohan stopped before he left the stratosphere, and cupped his hands together.
"KamehameHA!" His rapid Kamehameha wave bore down on an incoming Beerus, who dodged out of the way, only for the beam to split into a dozen attacks, just as big as the first. Once again, the god of destruction was forced to dodge as they zeroed in on him, though with less apparent ease than he did the last time. To add to his difficulty, Gohan continued to fire wave after wave of Kamehameha, and soon Beerus was surrounded by a sphere of blue energy. The beams crossed and spun around in a manner reminiscent of electrons in an atom, with Beerus as the nucleus, only this model had the electrons attempting to destroy him. Fast as he was, Beerus was now trapped by the web of searing energy.
Suddenly, Gohan thrust his hands forward, and the hundreds of beams became giant balls, frozen around Beerus in a perfect sphere. Beerus took the momentary pause as an opportunity to escape, but when he tried to breech the barrier, an electric current connecting the separate bombs crackled to life, shocking him and sending him back to the center.
Gohan grinned and spread his hands out, before clapping them together with excessive force. "HELLZONE KAMEHAMEHA!"
All at once, the spheres shot with unfathomable speed at Beerus. The destroyer could see nothing but blue, and he realized that not even his speed could escape this attack. Out of nowhere, he adopted a pleased smile.
"HAAAAAAAAAAAH!" With a tremendous kiai, the destroyer extended his limbs and sent his energy in every direction. As the two energies collided and struggled for dominance, the earth shook like it was going to be torn asunder. Inside the hellzone, Beerus was actually surprised by the amount of power he was being forced to exert. The individual blasts were reinforcing each other, creating a wall that boasted a force far greater than the sum of its parts. That, along with the intense heat and pressure that was building up in the enclosed space, caused the god of destruction to break a single drop sweat. As he felt the liquid leave his pore, his eyes widened, and without wasting anytime, he exerted all the power necessary to demolish Gohan's attack. At this triumph, a blinding light shone across the sky for hundreds of miles, and any land in that radius became scorched, whole bodies of water evaporated, and even the distant ocean lost dozens of feet of water.
Not having exerted that much power in such a long time, Beerus paused to catch his breath. Unfortunately for him, the second he beat the attack, Gohan rushed in, clobbering his cheek with a destructive haymaker, and the god was sent crashing into a pyramid half a planet away. Deep in the tomb, Beerus shook his head.
"What's the matter Beerus?" Gohan called from outside the ancient structure. "Main course too much for you?"
The destroyer's mouth slowly opened into a wicked cheshire grin. "On the contrary." He answered. "I'm eager to see what else you can cook up."
Break
Back at the Son home, everyone was crowding around Whis's staff, as the fight was being shown within the small orb. Zangya and Chichi were at the front, but everyone else was fighting for prime seating to watch the battle of the millennium.
"Yeah! You got him babe!" Zangya shouted after Gohan had landed his last punch on Beerus.
"Is Gohan winning?" Chichi asked eagerly, unable to follow the fight at all.
"Yeah he is!" Zangya replied enthusiastically.
"Man, that last attack was awesome!" Chokly said with excitement.
"Totally!" Soga agreed. "What a sick name too. 'Hellzone Kamehameha!' So hardcore!"
Piccolo smirked, trying not to look too proud.
"Maybe we should start calling Gohan curiosity." Nazz said, earning strange looks from the group. "You know? Because he's about to kill the cat."
"Ugh." The rest of the Saiyans groaned at the joke, while Zangya made a mental note for later use.
"You're all deluding yourselves." Vegeta said from the back, the fear still slightly visible on his countenance.
"Lighten up Vegeta." Bulma nudged her husband playfully. "Sounds like Gohan's taking care of business as usual.
"The boy is faring well, I won't dispute that." Vegeta admitted. "But even his power won't be able to match Beerus."
"What are you talking about? He's going blow for blow with this guy." Zangya said indignantly.
"Do you think he's just jealous?" Nira asked Rhubub in a loud whisper. "I mean, it's not easy for a prince to be upstaged by a kid."
"I am not jealous!" Vegeta yelled with comic indignation. "None of you can comprehend the depths of Beerus's power!"
"That's rich coming from you." Sesamy chuckled. "I mean, aside from your kid and the mini Gohan, aren't you the weakest Saiyan here? I think we have a better handle on the kitty's power level than you do."
"Really?" Vegeta smirked. "Well, I suppose you're right. But tell me, how much fruit salad did you have to eat to achieve super saiyan?"
"I…" Sesamy started to reply, but paused due to lack of a good retort.
"Oh, wait. Don't tell me you 'achieved' all your mighty power and you never figured out how to unlock the legendary form?" To prove his point, Vegeta transformed to super Saiyan, and Sesamy growled.
"Shut up! Once I find Broly, I'm totally gonna get him to show me how to transform!"
Vegeta raised an eyebrow and turned to look at a still disguised Broly, who raised his hands in a pleading gesture while shaking his head.
"The point is," Vegeta continued, "none of you have ever met the destroyer before. You have no idea how much he's holding back."
"You think he's holding back, dad?" Trunks asked, awed by the possibility of the power he felt being only a fraction of the whole.
Vegeta nodded. "While I have never felt his true power, I can tell that this isn't it."
"Very insightful, Vegeta." Whis complimented from his chair while enjoying a plate of teriyaki. "You're right of course. By the way, this sauce is simply divine!"
"Hold up!" Chichi shouted. "What do you mean Vegeta's right? Are you saying that he's stronger than Gohan?"
"Hey, will you all be quiet please!?" Zangya yelled as Whis was about to answer. "I'm trying to watch my boyfriend beat up a deity over here!"
"But Zangya," Chichi began.
"Hey, relax momma ox." The Hera waved her concerns aside. "I know Beerus isn't going all out, but he's not the only one holding back."
Break
The battle continued to span the globe, Gohan now on the defensive as Beerus started exerting more effort. He barely managed to duck under a slash, then was caught in the chest with a spinning back kick. He hit the streets of East City, destroying the road as his feet ploughed through the pavement. Beerus appeared, causing a boom that shattered windows, and blew away buildings when his fist impacted Gohan's palm. Gohan's attention left the battle momentarily, and he warped away, much to the confusion of Beerus.
Gohan rushed to each one of the buildings that Beerus last attack had affected, and with incredible speed evacuated every civilian that had been endangered and placed them a safe distance away from ground zero.
"Guess it's lucky this happened on a Saturday." Gohan muttered, before returning to face Beerus. The destroyer had waited impatiently for the teen to come back.
"Finally!" Beerus exclaimed. "Back to the fight!" Beerus charged the teen, his fist poised to strike.
"Time out." Gohan said and Beerus stopped, his fist inches from the teen's head.
Beerus growled and folded his arms. "What now?"
Gohan looked serious. "You strike me as someone who enjoys a good fight."
Beerus gave a sarcastic smile. "What gave it away?"
"Oh, I just picked up on a few things." Gohan shrugged. "But I get it. Someone as strong as you must have a hard time finding an opponent that can challenge them, right? That's why you're having such a good time against me."
"You're certainly a unique case." Beerus admitted. "Though I wouldn't exactly call you a challenge either."
"Really?" Gohan smirked. "Then you haven't been paying attention to the fight."
"Well, with an opponent like you, I can afford to not pay attention." The destroyer shot back.
"How much of your power have you been holding back then?" Gohan asked with genuine curiosity.
"Oh, just enough to make the fight interesting." Beerus shrugged.
"Me too."
"What!?" Beerus snapped.
"You heard me." Gohan answered calmly. "But even holding back, we're causing too much damage to this planet. We keep going, and the earth might just crumble to bits."
"Is this an attempt to get me to call a truce?" The destroyer sounded disappointed, and a bit disgusted.
"On the contrary. I do have a proposition for you though." Gohan . Let's leave this planet. Find a barren one, or even just fight in space. Somewhere that we can both cut loose would be way better than here. That way, we get a good fight out of each other, and Earth and its citizens are out of harm's way."
Beerus thought about this proposition. After a moment's thought, he shrugged. "No deal."
"What!?" Gohan was genuinely confused by the refusal. "Why not? Didn't you want to go all out?"
"Ha! Even if I needed to use my full power on you, consideration for this planet wouldn't factor into our fight. What do I care if this planet gets destroyed. I am the god of destruction, you know. In fact…" Beerus became thoughtful. "Perhaps I should just destroy this planet now so that you no longer have any distractions."
Gohan clenched his fist, cursing himself for being so naïve.
"Here I thought you might actually be alright. Guess I was wrong about that."
The god tilted his head. "My coming to destroy you didn't give that away?"
"That I didn't mind too much." Gohan replied. "I just assumed whoever holds your leash ordered you to do it. But if you're not willing to be reasonable I guess I don't need to be either."
"Oh, please." Beerus rolled his eyes. "You can't expect me to care enough about some backwater planet enough to change the location of my fight. Besides, I already told that Hera girl I'd destroy her for her impudence. Insufferable woman. I might as well take the whole planet while I'm at it."
Gohan furrowed his eyebrows, then dropped to his stance. "I was actually enjoying this until you said that. I was hoping you'd be reasonable, but there's more than one way to skin a cat." He vanished, and with double the speed he was using before, he grabbed Beerus by the muzzle, and left the city in an instant. Somewhere in the arctic, Beerus broke free, and aimed a kick at Gohan's oblique, only to be knee checked by the young warrior. Gohan followed up with a rapid series of punches and kicks, but despite his increased speed, Beerus had no trouble keeping up. In fact, as if to show Gohan how things stood, he started using only one hand to block the onslaught.
"Well, I guess you weren't bluffing about holding back." Beerus chuckled as he batted aside several kicks. "What happened to not using your full power?"
"You think this is all I've got?" Gohan asked with a wild grin. "Guess I should enlighten you!"
The next hit that Beerus blocked was a roundhouse, but after swatting it away, he jumped back and grasped his forearm while gasping at the searing hot pain he felt. Gohan took advantage of this pain and pressed in, his fists and feet all cloaked in a mixture of electric yellow ki and pitch black flames. Taken off guard by the pain, Beerus didn't bring his guard up in time to defend against this fiery barrage. Gohan hammered away at the god's midsection, switching up to the face occasionally. Every hit caused the same intense burning sensation on Beerus as the first, along with scorch marks all over his face and body.
At last, with red eyed fury, Beerus gathered himself enough to ignore the pain and caught Gohan's fiery arm. He wound up for a haymaker, but Gohan opened his mouth, and poured a stream of dark hellfire from his from it, right into the face of his opponent.
"GYAAAAH!" the destroyer grasped his flaming face with both hands, and Gohan swept behind him, putting him in a full nelson.
"Gee, that looks painful. Let's put that out." The next second, Gohan had dragged his opponent into space. Even with the lack of oxygen, the fire still burned, until an angry kiai from Beerus put it out and freed him from Gohan's hold.
Beerus spun around, while Gohan had disappeared from view. A kick to the back of the head alerted him to the boy's position, along with the knowledge that the hellfire was still burning and as painful as ever. Another blow landed in the cat's liver, then the chin, and another to the spine. A fire storm was raging around Beerus, and it was only growing in intensity. After the destroyer's declaration that he was planning on destroying the earth, rather than just Gohan, the teen decided he couldn't afford to play the percentage game anymore. He put his fun aside for now, so he could protect his loved ones, along with the planet, and his sudden jump to full power was more than Beerus had anticipated. Not to mention the hellfire had an unusually potent effect on the god.
However, while Beerus was being brutalized for the moment, his full power still outstripped the youth, and his training focused on more than just physical power. As Gohan took another pass at the cat, Beerus let his instincts kick in, and the teen's attack passed harmlessly in front of the destroyer's face. Gohan tried again, but Beerus spun past the fire, and kneed Gohan in the oblique. Gohan winced, but sent an uppercut at Beerus's chin, followed by a right cross. Beerus swayed back, then to the side, easily avoiding both hits. The teen tried one more time with a kick, but this time, Beerus didn't bother dodging. Instead, he sent his fist right into Gohan's abdomen with such force, that the teen coughed up blood. The hellfire extinguished and the hybrid floated back, clutching his stomach.
Beerus smiled savagely. He may have had to use a much higher percentage of his power than he'd expected, but it was worth it to put the brat in his place. He landed a roundhouse on the boy's face, and Gohan went spinning away, crashing through the moon and out the other side. Beerus appeared and back handed the teen away, then continued to play ping pong with the young hybrid. Gohan was powerless to block against the superior speed and power of the destroyer, the cat's fists simply weaving around any defenses he managed to put up. Beerus punched down on his face, then followed up with a backhand, and sent the Saiyan away with a front kick to the chin. Gohan tumbled through space, and despite his incredible durability, the damage was starting to get to him.
Beerus came behind him, both hands clasped together above his head. He brought them down, but at the last moment before impact, Gohan's whole body burst into black flames, and while his blow landed, he howled in pain as the impact left his hands charred. He glared after the boy, only to realize he had vanished again. He jumped back to avoid Gohan shooting in front of him, timing a kick perfectly to intercept the boy, willing to endure the pain for a good strike. However, all he struck was an after image, and his hands passed painfully through a ball of fire. Gohan came from behind and rammed the cat in his back, making Beerus stagger forward before he backhanded the boy away. He tilted his head as a fiery foot came at it from behind, and he threw an elbow behind him, nailing the boy in his chin, then a third Gohan appeared, tackling Beerus around the waist and his black fire cloak flared, engulfing both of them. Beerus roared in rage and pain, striking the boy with his elbows, knees, and fists to get him off, but Gohan endured the crushing blows, determined to do as much damage as he could.
After Gohan's fight with Slug, and realizing the tri-form's weaknesses could be overcome, he'd meditated on how to replicate the Namekian's technique. While this attempt hadn't yielded perfect results, he was able to maintain almost 50 percent of his power in each doppelganger. Unfortunately, even 100 percent power would have fallen short of what he needed. In the end, Beerus's strikes overpowered even Gohan's tenacity, and the third Gohan was torn away from the smoking destroyer.
"ATOMIIIC!" The shout drew Beerus's attention to the far-off figure with his hands cupped at his side.
"HELLFIRE!" on the opposite side, Beerus looked to see that the other one was gathering yellow energy and dark fire above his head.
"KAMEHAMEHAAAAA!"
"MASENKOOOOO!"
Beerus's eyes widened as a massive pillar of blinding white energy came at him from the left side, while on his right a wave of fire and ki was fast approaching. Extending one hand in each direction, the destroyer became surrounded by a sun like aura. A wave of sickly purple energy burst out in each direction, clashing with both of Gohan's attacks simultaneously. The struggle was intense, and the god once again felt himself surprised by the level of power his opponent could produce. Every planet in the galaxy trembled, and the only reason the earth wasn't consumed immediately, as Beerus noticed out of the corner of his eye, was that the third Gohan, bruised and battered as he was, was putting up his strongest energy shield to protect his planet.
Beerus couldn't help but chuckle at his opponent's naiveté. 'Foolish boy.' He thought. 'You'd be better of more service if you used all your power to attack me, instead of protecting a ball of mud.'
As soon as he finished thinking this, a special beam cannon fired from the center of the shield, and Beerus smirked. 'Maybe you're not so naïve after all. Then again, you still think you can challenge me.'
"HAAA!" With a shout, the struggle ceased, and Beerus's energy blew past both of Gohan's attack's and washed over both Gohan's. Beerus rushed toward the final Gohan, swatted the special beam cannon to the side, shattered through the energy shield, and grabbed the teen by the face. The destroyer dove toward the earth, his captive in front of him, and within an instant, they found themselves back on earth, the destroyer driving Gohan straight to the bottom of the ocean, their impact causing a massive tidal wave to spread out in every direction.
Break
As she saw how Beerus so easily turned the tides of battle, Zangya looked like she was in shock. She'd never seen Gohan take a beating like this since Bojack, and she never imagined Beerus would be so much stronger than Gohan. Through the staff, the spectators watched as Beerus played keepy uppy with Gohan at the bottom of the torrential ocean. Gohan spun toward Beerus, he shot a ki blast at him, but Beerus sped around it and spiked Gohan to the seabed with his claws, blood flowing out of the long gashes. Gohan bounced back up, only to get kneed in the gut, then back handed away. Beerus rushed to intercept him, and the Saiyan aimed a punch at the destroyer. Beerus caught the fist, then rammed his elbow down on the arm, and the teen gasped, letting the air out of his mouth in bubbles. Beerus swept the legs out from under him, and hammered him deep into the ground. Chichi had fainted when she witnessed the deity brutalizing her son.
"Woah…" Heiya said worriedly. "Looks like Vegeta was right. I thought for sure he'd have a chance, but now..."
"What if he becomes an oozaru?" Rhubub posed the idea. "His form was stronger than the normal transformation, so it might give him the edge he needs."
"Or he could lose the only edge he's had in this fight." Lomen countered.
"What do you mean?" Nazz asked in confusion. "Transformation equals automatic boost in power, how could that be a bad thing?"
"Unlike us, Gohan has not had a chance to train his great ape state." The old Saiyan explained. "So far, he has kept up with Beerus through strategy and technique. He's a fighter that uses his mind. On Namek though, his mind was barely there when he fought Turles. Even when he massively overpowered his opponent, there were times when Turles was able to outwit him because of that weakness. Even if we knew just how strong the destroyer is, and there's no guarantee he doesn't surpass Gohan while transformed, Beerus could undoubtedly use that lack of sentience to his advantage. Perhaps if he was at full power, it wouldn't be a bad idea, but in his weakened state… It may do more harm than good."
"So what!?" Trunks shouted, surprising the Saiyans. "You cowards are just gonna let Gohan die without doing anything!? He spared all of your lives, didn't he? You owe him!"
"Trunks." Vegeta placed a hand on his son's shoulder. "Nothing they do could be of any use to Gohan now."
"Gohan's not gonna die!" Goten shouted angrily. "Just watch! He's gonna turn this around and win like he always does!" The adults all looked down, Broly and Piccolo clenching their fists in frustration by their inability to help their friend.
Zangya had been lost in the battle, but Goten's voice snapped her back to reality. She stumbled to her feet and ran into the house, exiting in the blink of an eye with the Z sword gripped in her hand.
"Zangya, wait!" 18 yelled, but she was already airborne.
Break
A storm raged above the sea, waves larger than had ever been recorded crashed against the rocky shore, eroding the land in massive chunks. Something shot out of the water and landed on the beach, the figure coughing and sputtering when he hit dry land. Gohan struggled to push himself up, but he had barely made it to his elbows when a foot slammed up into his abdomen. Gohan shot up, and a purple clawed hand snatched him by his throat.
"You know, I was a bit curious about you." The destroyer chuckled. "You do have quite the resume for a mortal, after all. Even Cooler seemed to be afraid of you, and now I can see why. The universe hasn't seen a being as powerful as you for some time. I'm not sure how you stack up to a true Majin, but you certainly made me exert more power than I could have imagined capable for one so young."
"I… Get that… A lot." Gohan ground out.
"I don't doubt it." Beerus smirked. "After all, no one has been able to catch me off guard as many times as you have."
"GRAH!" Gohan roared and black fire started to pour from his mouth. "Gah!" Beerus squeezed his grip, and the hellfire petered out before it reached the target.
"Yes, just like that." Beerus chuckled. "Who would have expected Kili infused fire. It even managed to cause some damage to me, of all people. You should be proud to have lasted so long against me. I'd even say that you were something of a challenge. Like fighting a swarm of ants. Who knows? In a century or two, you might have proven to be a true challenge. But now, your energy is spent, and you can barely lift your arms, can you?"
Gohan tried to struggle, but the destroyer's grip was too strong.
"But while you managed to offer some entertainment, at the end of the day, an insect is still just an insect to me. And now…" Beerus grinned. "It's time to squash the bug."
"PUT HIM DOWN!" Beerus turned to see Zangya in her super Hera form, bringing her massive blade down on his head.
The destroyer caught the sword between the claws of his thumb and forefinger, and examined it curiously.
"Interesting." Beerus said idly. "How did you come to possess my sword?"
Zangya ignored the question, putting all her effort into forcing the weapon down on her enemy. "I said… put. Him. DOOWWWN!"
She pulled the sword away and swung at him sideways, only for him to swat it to the side. The Hera spun, bringing the sword to the other side with the same result. She stabbed, slashed, and swung with all her might, trying to cut the cat down, but Beerus parried every strike as if she was attacking him with a piece of Styrofoam. She switched to a kick, finally landing a blow to the head, but to her utter shock, Beerus didn't move an inch.
"Not bad." Beerus laughed. "Your goddess would be proud. Shame she's not around to help you." He brought his hand up, and flicked her in the forehead, sending her hurtling away, skipping across the ocean like a stone.
To his surprise, the woman came charging back immediately, blood trickling down her forehead to match her scarlet hair. She swung wildly at the cat, and he didn't even bother blocking this time. He dodged without even paying attention, yawning and closing his eyes, which only served to infuriate the outraged woman. At last, Zangya found an opening, and brought the sword to finally cut her opponent down. Beerus smiled, and brought Gohan right in the path of the sword, and the Hera panicked, using all of her might to pull back on the sword. It stopped millimeters away from Gohan's neck, and she glared at the god. Beerus paid no mind, and with a simple movement, stepped in and wrested the blade from her hand.
"I almost forgot about this thing. Barely used it though. Of course, that doesn't mean it wasn't fun to use." Beerus raised the sword, and brought it down on Zangya, but before the sword was halfway, Gohan used the remainder of his energy in a move to save Zangya. He grabbed Beerus by the forearm, and shot it up with dark purple energy.
"GYAAAAAAH!" Beerus howled in agony, dropping Gohan and the Z sword all at once as he grasped his withered right arm. He gasped for breath, as the pain subsided, but his now limp appendage fell uselessly to the side. He stared down at the barely conscious boy with newfound curiosity and anger.
"Whis didn't tell me you could use destruction. There really is no end to your surprises." The god raised his hand, and a purple ball formed, two feet in diameter. "But you handle it like an amateur. Let me show you what a professional can really do."
Before he could send his ball of destruction on Gohan, he leaned back to avoid an incoming kick. Chokly flew past him, then Rhubub came in from behind, Beerus flipped over his horizontal knife hand. Next was Nazz, followed by Nira and Sesamy. Each one of the Saiyans appeared, trying to hit Beerus when they arrived. Green hands shot out of the ground and wrapped around his ankles, and Broly and Vegeta came at him in their ascended forms with energy charged fists. Beerus took the attacks on his stomach, neither warrior having anywhere near enough strength to make him flinch. He flared his aura and the wind pressure was more than enough to blast all the Saiyans, Piccolo, and Zangya off into the distance.
Zangya and Nazz landed with a crash on an island at sea, both struggling to their feet.
"What happened to Saiyans not teaming up against a single opponent?" Zangya asked shakily.
"Come on, you can't expect the fiercest race of warriors in the universe to stay out of a fight with a god. Not when some green red head is fighting him."
Zangya nodded. "Fine, follow my lead." She sped away.
"Only if I get overtime!" Nazz called before following suit.
Chokly was the first to return to Beerus, but even her speed was no match, and he grounded her with a single kick. Kalif came next, along with Rhubub, but they fared no better than the speedster. Lomen was next, and to the destroyer's surprise, managed to dodge exactly three hits, before Beerus lost patience, wrapping his tail around the man's neck and slammed him into the earth with the rest of the Saiyans. One by one, the Saiyans fell as fast as they reached the deity. Soga, Kress, Quillin, Broly, Vegeta, Piccolo. Each one faring worse than the last. Zangya came in, swinging her blade with the aim to decapitate, and Beerus caught it with his teeth, then flung her away with a jerk of his head.
Beerus was getting annoyed with the constant interruptions. Here he was trying to give his opponent an honorable death, and these weaklings were getting in the way. Gohan's allies all staggered to their feet and faced Beerus, gathering energy for their final attack. As one, each warrior fired their most powerful blast, a rainbow of colors blazed as they flew at Beerus. With one hand disabled by Gohan, and the other still holding his ball of destruction, Beerus raised a foot and punted all the energy at once into the sky.
"Nice try." Beerus sneered. "But that didn't hold a candle to the weakest of the boy's attacks."
"Then put a candle in this cake you mangy stray! WAR CAKE CANNON!"
From the side, Zangya aimed her sword at Beerus, and unleashed all the energy stored inside. The washed over the destroyer, obscuring him in a pillar of blinding light. When the energy in the sword was spent, the Hera let the point hit the ground and she breathed heavily, keeping her eyes focused on the cloud of smoke that billowed from the trench her attack had made. Any hope in her eyes left as she saw the faint outline of the god of destruction.
"Interesting use of the sword's abilities." Beerus warped behind Zangya and kicked her right in the back, sending her crashing into the rest of the cavalry, knocking many of them down. "I'll keep that in mind next time I use it."
With untraceable movements, Beerus flashed around the Saiyans and Piccolo and ploughed each one into the ground with his feet. The destroyer stood on the back of Broly, looking down at his handy work.
"Shame." He shook his head. "If this bunch is any indication, Frieza definitely could have made better use of the Saiyans' loyalty. Oh well." Beerus shrugged. "Might as well finish the job."
Floating up till he was 30 feet above them, he threw the ball of destruction down at the victims. His expression was blank, until he saw something he did not expect. His eyes widened when Gohan appeared between the ball and his friends. The teen was struggling to stand, but he had a determined gaze on his swollen and bloody face. When the ball reached him, he held up his hands and caught it, his knees buckling as his weakened frame struggled to stop the destructive energy.
"Hahaha!" Beerus laughed out of sheer amazement. "You are one of a kind, Son Gohan! Go on, struggle like the warrior you are! This is my last chance to be entertained by you, so make it last!"
Beerus's word's reached Gohan's ears as he tried to reject the deadly orb, but he barely registered them. He'd encased his hands in energy, trying to put somewhat of a barrier between his skin and the attack. However, the last of his energy was failing, and failing fast. Like a flashlight with a dying battery, the light around Gohan's hands flickered until it was gone. The attack made contact with his skin, and Beerus shook his head.
"Sorry, demon boy." Beerus said. "In another world, I might have spared you. At least my killing you personally is a badge of honor in otherworld. Oh, and don't worry about missing any loved ones. You won't be alone… For long?" Beerus fell into silence when he realized that Gohan wasn't succumbing to the power of destruction.
The young hybrid grit his teeth, as he fought to contain the incredible pain the energy was causing as it touched his skin. At last, he could no longer take it, and he let out a wail of pure physical suffering.
"KRYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!"
His cry resounded all across the planet, and Beerus had to put his hands over his ears to drown it out. Instead of Gohan's body deteriorating, it was the ball that was shrinking. The destroyer's eyes nearly shot out of his head when he saw this, and what worried him further was that Gohan's power was growing, even beyond what he had shown in their battle.
"HIYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" Gohan shouted, and his dark aura returned, his limbs regained their power, and his eyes glowed completely red. The teen took a deep breath, taking in his rejuvenated strength.
"So… This is what a demon can do."
Beerus barely finished speaking, when Gohan charged at him, throwing everything at him in a deadly assault of rapid punches and kicks. In his surprise, Beerus was driven back, though still able to keep up with the teen, even without both hands. He smacked Gohan away, after which the teen vanished, appearing right behind Beerus and nailing his back with a flying kick. Beerus staggered forward, and Gohan grabbed him by the tail, swung him around wildly before he flung him far into space. Beerus, blocked a follow on punch, then countered with a palm thrust, knocking Gohan back once more. Coming to a stop with a shout, Gohan charged back in, his fist poised to strike. He let it fly, and Beerus countered with a punch of his own, the blows meeting each other with such impact that for a brief moment, it seemed like the universe itself turned off. It came back on, then off again, flickering back to life after each of Gohan and Beerus's collisions.
Beerus brought both hands together and up into Gohan's chin, the demon flipping backwards over himself. When he finally stopped, he cupped his hands together at his side, and launched a Kamehameha wave. By now, Beerus was familiar with the attack, but when the energy turned out to be destruction purple rather than blue, Beerus started to panic. Putting his arms in front of him, he fired one ball of destruction after another, each one colliding with the beam and slowing it down. Gohan put more energy into the attack, but just as he did so, Beerus warped in front of him, roundhouse kicked him in the face, then chopped him in the back of the neck, before finally soccer ball kicking the teen back to the earth.
Without losing momentum, Beerus followed after him, nailing him with punches and kicks, driving him with greater speed down to the ground. When they broke the atmosphere, Gohan counterattacked with a purple covered fist right in the destroyer's gut. Beerus coughed up blood from the attack, then grabbed Gohan by the throat with his good hand. The destroyer threw knee after knee into Gohan's body, while the hybrid kept hammering his fists into Beerus. Just before They hit the ground, Gohan broke free, kicking Beerus away. Beerus quickly caught his breath, just before Gohan came at him again with a right hook. Beerus ducked underneath it, then came up with an uppercut. Gohan tried again with a roundhouse kick, but Beerus blocked it and sunk a knee into the teen's abdomen. Again and again, Gohan pushed in, and was repelled by Beerus's counter strikes. The damage increased on Gohan, his energy slowly receding just as it had come. The god sensed this, and he pressed in, taking full advantage of the waning power.
"Quite the handy technique you have there, absorbing destructive energy." The deity poured on a continuous combination of kicks, punches, and elbow strikes. "I can't imagine what else you could do with some real training! Too bad you won't get a chance!" With a final haymaker, he pummeled Gohan to the ground, and to the god's satisfaction, the Saiyan had returned to his base state, and remained there.
Break
Beerus landed and started gathering yellow ki. "Since destruction doesn't seem to work on you, I'll have to wipe you out another way." He raised his hand full of energy above his head. "I did like the sound of that Masenko. Shame I can't use hellfire though. Masenko HA!" Beerus thrust his hand forward, and the mass of yellow bore down on Gohan like a freight train. Just before it consumed him, two figures landed in front of him, and split the attack down the middle.
Beerus adopted a dissatisfied look, which quickly turned to shock when he saw Whis and none other than the grand supreme kai standing between him and Gohan.
"Well… This is unexpected. Would one of you care to explain," Beerus began in annoyance. "Why you chose to interrupt me while I'm doing my job? And what are you even doing here?" He addressed this last part to Daikaioh.
The Kai gave an uncharacteristic frown. "Maybe if you didn't nap for decades at a time, you wouldn't need to ask."
Beerus growled, and Daikaioh continued. "Son Gohan and the Hera called Zangya freed me from Buu. Something I noticed you didn't bother attempting."
"Don't blame me." Beerus shrugged. "The short one told me you were dead. Anyway, if the demon kid saved you, why did I get a request for his destruction?"
The Kai furrowed his eyebrows and gave Whis a disapproving look. "Yes, Whis. Why did Beerus get such a request."
Whis shrugged with a smile. "Forgive me, lord of lords, but I don't recall Beerus getting any such order."
"WHAT!?" Beerus yelled angrily. "You told me that I had to be woken up because the Kais wanted Son Gohan eliminated! You said he was 'worse than Frieza'!"
"Oh, lord Beerus, what a funny little misunderstanding." Whis laughed. "I never said the Kai's wanted you to destroy Gohan. As far as him being 'worse than Frieza', I simply meant that he would be a greater challenge."
"ARE YOU KIDDING ME!?" The destroyer raged. "What about when I asked why the kais wanted him dead!? You just let me believe that!?"
"I told you I couldn't say why." Whis explained. "That was true, seeing as the Kais did not want him dead, so of course I couldn't give a reason."
"Why you… You… I SHOULD TRADE YOU FOR VADOS, YOU DIRTY, MANIPULATIVE-"
"Oh, come now, lord Beerus." Whis cut him off. "Can you honestly tell me that you haven't enjoyed this little outing? From what I saw, your opponent put up quite the amusing fight, after all."
Beerus opened his mouth to respond, looked at Gohan, then closed his mouth and furrowed his brow. "Not sure whether to say it was amusing or annoying." The destroyer mumbled. He turned to Daikaioh. "So, you want this kid alive?"
"I would prefer it to be so." The Kai replied. "His friends and planet as well."
Beerus exhaled loudly. "Fine. Have it your way. Take us home Whis. You better have grabbed me something from that party to make up for this."
"Oh, I think you'll like it, my lord." Whis tapped the ground with his staff and a cube formed around them. "You are sure to win the competition against Champa with what I grabbed for you."
With that, the destroyer and the angel were gone.
Break
Gohan's eyes blinked open as his energy was starting to return. He quickly recognized the pudgy pink face of the grand supreme Kai staring down at him.
"Daikaioh?" Gohan sat up as he addressed the deity.
"I thought you were going to call me D.K." The kai smiled.
"What are you doing here?" Gohan asked, then looked around to make sure he was still on earth and not otherworld. "What happened to Beerus?"
"He left." The lord of lords answered simply.
"What?" Gohan wasn't sure if he'd suffered brain damage, or if he was just groggy from blacking out, but he was having a hard time following the course of events that lead to the current situation.
"Come." The lord of lords stood up and offered his hand to Gohan, helping him to his feet. "I'll explain everything when we have checked on your friends." The two teleported, and appeared right next to Zangya. Gohan clenched his fist and growled, his anger boiling to the surface. His frustration was as much with Beerus as it was with himself, and he mentally berated his own weakness, at the same time harboring an intense desire to feed Beerus his own arm.
Daikaioh knelt down and placed a hand over the girl, a soothing pink aura surrounding her. "I wouldn't beat yourself up too much." The deity felt the boy's thoughts and offered his advice. "I know this wasn't the ideal outcome for you, but if it helps, Beerus wasn't expecting this much of a fight."
"Oh yeah?" Gohan asked bitterly. "He still wasn't the one who was left unconscious."
"Maybe, but I personally think it's a bit much to expect a 15-year-old to beat a god that has millions of years' worth of training and experience." Daikaoh shrugged. "Besides, you may not have knocked him out, but you did seriously injure him. As far as I know, you're the first person to do that since he's become a destroyer. Well, not counting his counterparts, I mean."
"Counterparts?" Gohan tilted his head.
"Another time." The kai offered in lieu of an explanation. "You'll probably meet them someday, at any rate." He stood up and moved on to the next patient, healing two at a time.
Gohan pushed his questions aside for now when he saw Zangya's eyes flutter open. The minute she sat up, he scooped her up in his arms and planted a passionate Kiss on her lips. The kiss broke, leaving Zangya a bit speechless, and Gohan held her closer in a tight embrace.
Zangya wrapped her arms around him in turn, relieved to see her boyfriend alive. "I'm sorry." She whispered. "I didn't realize he was that strong. I shouldn't have taunted him like that. I should have-"
"Hey, it's ok." Gohan said soothingly. "You don't have to be sorry about anything."
"So…" She pushed away slightly so she could look Gohan in the eye. "Did you win?"
"Sadly, the champ lost by knock out." Daikaioh answered for him. "But fortunately, it was just an exhibition bout. I believe I'm using the correct terms, but let me know if I'm wrong."
Zangya turned her head, noticing the kai for the first time. She turned back to Gohan with a questioning gaze, and the teen just shrugged. "He said he'd explain in a minute."
Soon, Piccolo, Broly, Vegeta, and the rest of the Saiyans were starting to rise from the ground. The Saiyans with the exception of Broly, who knew who the deity was, were put off by the presence of this pink chubby man. Piccolo was the only one that showed reverence for the lord of lords.
"Thanks." Gohan nodded in appreciation to Daikaioh. "Now that everyone's ok, you mind telling me exactly what's going on?"
"Of course." The kai nodded. He paused a moment, trying to determine where to begin. "You see, as the title implies, the god of destruction's duty is to assist in maintaining the balance between creation and destruction. His job is to destroy planets, and occasionally people, that could cause an imbalance in the universe. It would seem," The deity paused awkwardly. "That the angel, Whis, led him to believe that you were designated as one of those individuals."
"What!?" Zangya became furious, and got down from her princess carry. "Why!? I thought you made it so the kais wouldn't bother Gohan anymore!"
"I did." The kai replied. "But Beerus and Whis are not Kais. They acted without my knowledge, or my consent."
"Ok, so what's this angel got against me then?" Gohan asked, before Zangya could pose the question in more colorful terms. "Is it because I'm a demon?"
"Nothing like that." Daikaioh shook his head. "Whis actually seems to have a high opinion of you."
"Then why!?" Zangya demanded.
"Because Beerus is lazy." The grand supreme kai sighed.
"I don't follow." Gohan tilted his head in confusion.
"I get it." Piccolo offered. "What the lord of lords is saying is that the angel was using you as some sort of test for Beerus. A type of wake-up call."
"Exactly!" Daikaioh exclaimed, happy he had been understood. "Beerus doesn't do his job to Whis's standards. He prefers napping and delegating his responsibilities to others. That's never been a problem for him, because he is incredibly powerful, even by god of destruction standards. What you saw today was merely a fraction of his true strength, albeit a much higher fraction than he's had to use in a very long time. However, with your appearance on the scene, Whis decided to show Beerus that his power was not unreachable. You showed him that he's been getting too complacent. So, he tricked him into fighting you."
"Ooh!" Zangya snarled. "The nerve of that man! I even told the jerk he could help himself to some cake!"
"So…" Gohan was feeling a mixture of flattery and rage at the situation. "You came in at the last minute to stop him?"
"I'm sorry I didn't come sooner." Daikaioh apologized sincerely. "We didn't think he was going to wake up this soon. He usually sleeps for much longer. I was overseeing a council of kais when we felt your powers clashing. I came to confront Whis and stop Beerus as soon as I could."
Zangya was about to berate the Kai for not getting there sooner, but Gohan placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Thank you." The teen said. "I'm sure it's not easy having to work with a guy like that."
"You have no idea." Daikaioh sighed.
Zangya looked from the Kai to Gohan, and sighed, deciding to let go of her anger, at least at the pink man. "I guess it wasn't really your fault." She admitted. "Come on Gohan. There's still some time left to finish your party. I mean, if you want."
"Sounds great." The teen put on a smile. "No point in moping about it right now. At least it's all over."
Daikaioh furrowed his eyebrows. 'I'm not so sure about that, my young friend.' Then he had another sudden thought. "This party…" he started.
"Yeah, yeah, you can come too." Zangya rolled her eyes. Gohan laughed, before taking off, and the other's followed right behind.
Break.
Passing through the universe, lights flashing past them, Beerus and Whis remained in uncomfortable silence. Finally, Whis decided to break it. "How is the arm, lord Beerus?"
"How do you think?" Beerus grumbled. "The brat used destruction on it. I'm just lucky he's so inexperienced with it."
"Yes, I'm sorry I didn't warn you about his affinity for the art. But other than that, what did you think of him?"
Beerus sighed and shrugged. "He's young. Cocky. Though I will admit, his techniques are rather interesting. He's got a decent head for strategy."
Whis smiled. "Makes you realize how rusty you've gotten, doesn't it?"
Beerus glared at Whis, then looked down at his arm. "I suppose it does…" The cat became lost in thought. Whis decided that his pupil had indeed learned his lesson. He waved his staff over the dead arm, and Beerus looked up with a furious snarl. "Are you telling me that you could have done that this whole time!?"
"Oh, don't be mad lord Beerus." Whis placated. "Here, have a bite of this." Out of the staff emerged a paper plate covered in plastic wrap. Inside was a mushy, blue, bread like substance. "Zangya made it. The Hera girl, I mean."
Beerus took it and peeled off the wrapping with a skeptical look. He glared at Whis. "This better be as good as you claim." Taking a small piece in his hand, he took a bite. His face maintained his stoney expression, but out of the corner of his eye, a single tear fell to his feet.
"Whis?"
"Yes, lord Beerus?"
"Perhaps… I may have been too hasty in my treatment of those earthlings. After all, that boy was quite fun, and the Hera girl was almost charming."
Whis simply smiled, hoping to make a return trip very soon.
End chapter.
I hope this lived up to the hype. I think Gohan would fare better than Goku did in B.O.G., but at this point, he is still not at Beerus's level. I'm pretty sure the percentage points cited in the movie have been retconned, and we know that Beerus is far stronger than anything Goku or Vegeta have achieved so far, so I thought it would be realistic for Gohan to put up a good fight, but still lose pretty handily. For power scaling, I'm thinking Gohan is around resurrection F super Saiyan blue Goku or Vegeta. That's just what I think is a realistic level right now that will also give him room to grow. Also, when Gohan absorbed Beerus's destruction energy, that wasn't meant to be ultra ego. It was just meant to be an ability linked to Gohan's demonic power.
I hope you all enjoyed this short arc. I am taking a break for a few months, as I am in my last semester of school, and need to focus on that and my family. I really didn't want to leave it on a cliffhanger, and post Beerus seemed like an ok stopping point. The story will continue in December.