Strength was the only thing that mattered in this world. Everything else was nothing but a delusion for the weaklings beneath the strongest. The strongest one stood above everyone else, was highly respected, feared, and hailed by them. The strongest ruled over everyone and those beneath him served him.
To become the strongest was his destiny.
Vegeta lived with this belief of superiority for the entirety of his life. He was a highly prideful man who takes so much pride in his strength and power. He hated any thoughts of being weaker or inferior to anyone, and so he thrived to become the strongest he could become. To become the strongest in the entire Universe. He underwent harsh training for years to get to where he is now, and just as every time he reached a new level of strength, he would discover that there were more beings out there who were more powerful than he is. This was the devastating truth that Vegeta learned when he met the King of All. Seeing as how King Zen was respected and hailed by everyone, and after meeting the King of Nothingness, King Mu, whom even the fearsome God of Destruction Beerus-sama had been so terrified of, Vegeta realized that there were still beings with unimaginable power greater than anything he imagined and he never felt so small, so belittled in this world. All the years he had trained for to become the strongest still meant nothing in the presence of these multiverse-level gods.
He hated this feeling of inferiority and it made him feel that his pride was greatly insulted.
But then...
"It is also your fate to rise after him, to become stronger than him and everyone else."
This is what the Oracle Fish revealed to him in one of her odd premonitions. She saw him becoming stronger, more powerful than Beerus, and everyone else. Vegeta wondered if that included King Zen and King Mu. He knew that this same prediction was what Whis had silently delivered to King Zen and saved them all from whatever destructive punishment they were all supposed to suffer back in the King of All's Palace. Vegeta didn't know why and how easily he believed those words, and he just decided to take up the mantle of the God of Destruction without second thoughts. All he knew was the fact that it would be such a waste for him to let that opportunity slip away if it was indeed true. He tried to convince himself that throwing his Saiyan pride and his mortal life away for this will be greatly paid off by a chance of regaining it back one day, instead of letting himself be destroyed that easily without a fight. At least, he will have no regrets if he still gets destroyed by the King of Nothingness here, which he won't be allowing as much as he could help it.
And so, Vegeta chose to become the God of Destruction and be the 'Destined Strong One' in order for him to one day become the strongest and most fearsome deity in the Multiverse.
The Legend of the God of Destruction (Part XI)
Vegeta, the God of Destruction
"Incredible! So this is how it feels like to be a God of Destruction! This destructive power is insane!"
Vegeta thought to himself as he looked down at his hands, amazed by the results of his ascension to the mantle of being the most powerful deity in the universe. He could feel his new divine powers course through him like a bottomless surge. It's overwhelmingly powerful, and he knew that there's still much more deep within him, waiting to be unleashed in a destructive burst. It made him excited, his blood boiling at his primal urge to become wild like when he first became a Super Saiyan. But while he wanted to celebrate his ascension, he knew that he had a fight he promised to fulfill. Being reminded of that made him lose all that excitement. While being the Saiyan he used to be, he was supposed to be looking forward to the heated battle with King Mu, but for some reason, it didn't feel right to him.
Vegeta scowled as he turned his head to glare intimidatingly at where he could sense his waiting opponent. That bastard... He'll make sure that he would make him pay for this!
He put his right index and middle fingers at the center of his forehead and used his instant teleportation skill to appear to where King Mu was surprisingly waiting for him patiently. A meadow filled with dry, greyish brown grass being blown by the cold wind.
"The Destined Strong One you are looking for is standing right before you!" Vegeta declared this in a very cold tone. His dark glare was fierce and stern.
King Mu turned to him, regarding his presence. The King of Nothingness could sense the quiet rage Vegeta was emitting, and it made him excited rather than be terrified.
"Finally! Finally, you have come, Destined Strong One! I have waited for so long to fight you! Now it is time to battle!" King Mu exclaimed.
Vegeta nodded at him with an austere gaze and he fell into his signature fighting stance.
"I'm going to give you my all. I won't hold back! You better prepare yourself." Vegeta told him this, in his mind, he wanted to teach this punk a lesson to never come here demanding things like this ever again.
King Mu didn't bother doing the same, he just stood there like a towering statue of an almighty and unbeatable god of war as he instructed, "That's right! I want you to fight me at your full strength! Give me the fierce battle that I seek for so many years!"
Vegeta gave King Mu a haughty smirk, "Don't worry. I will."
He disappeared from his position, moving with hypersonic speed towards King Mu, and gave the multiverse level destroyer a mighty punch to the gut. This initially made the heavily armored deity astonished because he had never seen a newly awakened god to be this strong.
Using this opportunity, Vegeta unleashed a combination of rapid attacks to push the multiverse level deity back. King Mu took all the mighty blows at first, allowing Vegeta to get the upper hand on him.
Until King Mu was able to block his fist, causing Vegeta to stop.
"!" Vegeta gasped slightly in his surprise.
"So how do you like the feeling now that you have finally become a God of Destruction, Vegeta Yonsei?" King Mu asked with his deep voice.
"Tch!" Vegeta scoffed. "I'm not sure about that."
"What do you mean by you're not sure?" King Mu seemed confused by this response he didn't quite expect coming from someone with such desire for power. He could tell how much Vegeta Yonsei wanted to seek greater strength due to the indomitable fighting spirit he sensed radiating off him even when he was still a mortal. He doesn't understand why Vegeta wasn't feeling as ecstatic as he expected him to be after becoming the most powerful deity in this Universe.
The new God of Destruction sneered bitterly, "While I feel elated by this much power flowing within me, I am hating it. I hate myself for having thrown away what I am in order to gain this power. I hate it. I hate how I feel different. I hate that despite having done this, it's still not enough."
"You are not satisfied?"
"No. This power is useless to me until I'm strong enough to reach my goal!"
"Hmph! Useless, huh?" King Mu snorted, launching an attack of his own. He sent a punch to Vegeta's solar plexus, effectively folding the God of Destruction in half and sending him flying backward. "Then why did you throw away that pride of yours in order to become a God of Destruction if you truly didn't want to let go?" he asked.
Vegeta did a graceful somersault in the air and landed on the ground, his brown boots skidding against the ground until he was finally able to stop his momentum. He raised his head to glare at King Mu, who was able to catch up to him so fast and was already standing five feet in front of him.
"Tch!" Vegeta seethed as he wiped his lip with the back of his left hand. His lips then stretched into a smirk as he responded, "Even if I tell you, you won't be able to understand what it means to lay down everything you have to protect something. I know that if I stayed stubborn, you will not stop your rampage looking for the Destined Strong One. If you managed to kill Beerus out there, this entire Universe will be obliterated from existence. That, along with myself. I really couldn't care less about it. I was stubborn and adamant about my pride. But then, I was told by the Oracle Fish that if I make my decision, then I will become the strongest among all. There's nothing a Saiyan ever wants but to pursue greater strength above all."
"So that's why you chose this path?"
"Strength is everything to a Saiyan Warrior! We take pride in our strength! That's why even though I have given up my mortal life to protect my pride, I know... I know that I am still the proud Prince of all Saiyans! A Saiyan who ascended to the realm of the gods and became the God of Destruction!"
"Strength, huh? Then show me this strength you're so proud of, Vegeta Yonsei!"
The two exchanged mighty blows that created devastating shockwaves which shook the cosmos. Aside from that, with every damage he received from King Mu's ferocious attacks, Vegeta will automatically regenerate from it. Although he could feel the pain of each hit, the fact that he heals instantly would cause his ki to swell greater than before. He realized that his Saiyan ability to grow more powerful every time he takes damage and heal from it retained even though he had become an immortal deity.
They eventually went up into the atmosphere until they reached outer space. Vegeta was astonished at the realization that he can stay and breathe in space too now that he's an immortal. A mortal Saiyan cannot breathe in space for very long so he was amazed that he can finally fight wherever, however, and for as long as he wants.
"Surprising, huh?" King Mu commented, noticing Vegeta's astonishment at his new abilities.
"Yeah. I didn't expect immortality to be this astounding."
"Of course, the things that limit you when you were a mortal had become unbounded. You are a deity so you are certainly above any mortal now."
They continued fighting, yet despite Vegeta's persistence, King Mu was still more powerful than he ever was. Vegeta wondered if aside from this Saiyan ability he was able to retain, will he be able to transform to his Super Saiyan and Super Saiyan God forms?
King Mu's gaze was serious and deadly, "Is this all you got?" he asked.
Vegeta snorted lightly, giving King Mu a confident smile. "I'm not done yet!"
He braced himself to power up, hoping to call out to the powers of the Legendary Super Saiyan within him.
"Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"
The universe rumbled as a flash of golden light radiated off Vegeta, lightening the darkness that surrounded them.
Below him, Shin, Beerus, and Champa covered their eyes from the light. "He can still turn into a Super Saiyan? What is the meaning of this?" gasped Champa.
Whis nodded, "It seems that Vegeta-sama had retained his abilities as a Saiyan, even after becoming an immortal god."
"I- I've never seen any God of Destruction being able to hold the same abilities he had when he was a mortal! All abilities are changed to compromise the divine powers of destruction!"
"Yes. Just look at him. Just by becoming a Super Saiyan, he is shaking the entire universe, some feat he was unable to do when he was a mortal. His power had risen that much."
Just as Whis mentioned, Vegeta could feel his Super Saiyan power shaking the entire Universe around him. This overwhelming energy surging within him was intense, continuously rising to a level he had never dreamed of, even greater than his Ultra Ego powers when he was a mortal.
The power radiating off him started to create waves of energy that reduced planets and asteroids to dust. Shin felt his creations being destroyed and he turned to Whis.
"Whis! This power is too much! If Vegeta-sama doesn't control himself, he'll destroy this entire universe! We have to stop him!" Shin shouted.
"Try to communicate with him. Both of you are connected, right?" Whis suggested.
"Right!"
As Vegeta continued to power up, he heard Shin's voice in his mind, pleading, "Vegeta-sama, can you hear me? Please control your power! If you continue powering up like that, you are going to destroy us all!"
"Tch! What a bother!" Vegeta sent back at him, ignoring him.
"It's useless." Shin gasped.
"Vegeta's in the middle of a battle. He won't listen to reason." Whis said rather calmly.
"But why are you so calm right now? If he loses control out there, we'll all cease to exist!" Shin told him anxiously.
Whis simply smiled. "I don't know. I just feel that everything is going to be alright."
Vegeta let out a mighty scream into the stars.
"Haaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"
Vegeta's golden aura burst forth like a fierce flame, and his upright hair was glowing gold. The explosion of Vegeta's ki contained the might of a different dimension. A flash of light surged as a silent explosion expanded, causing everyone to cover their eyes with their forearms.
The next instant, they found themselves within a dimension of swirling strange lights. The boundary of the dimension could not withstand the energy released by the might of Vegeta's Super Saiyan power and got torn apart.
Below them, their five audiences gasped in wonder as they saw the surroundings changed.
"What happened..?" gasped Champa as he looked up at the strange terrain they were in.
"Hey Whis! Isn't this the-?" Beerus panicked.
"That's right. This is a dimension beyond reality, space, and time. The entire universe could only handle as much power as it could, but it seems that Vegeta's power had already surpassed that limit. Just by powering up to a Super Saiyan, he was able to shatter the fragments of space and time, thus causing us to enter into an entirely different dimension." Whis explained.
"Does that mean the Universe just got destroyed?" Beerus asked.
"I don't think so," Shin said. "I can still feel the remnants of my creations within me. It's still there."
Champa agreed, he can still feel the existence of his universe in him. "My Universe is safe too."
"I see. So Vegeta chose to break through reality itself and transport the fight into an entirely different dimension in order to protect the Universe from being destroyed by the battle." Whis commented. He smiled, impressed. "That's smart thinking. It seems he's able to understand the concept of reality when I sent him in the Sacred Space of Spirit and Time, that's why he was able to break through that dimension."
"Wait, did you just say he had broken out of the Sacred Space of Spirit and Time on his own?!" Champa gasped in disbelief.
"Yes, it was quite unexpected of him to do so. And to think he was still a mortal Saiyan in training to become the God of Destruction yesterday."
"I've never seen anyone with this much power, much less from a Saiyan," Champa muttered, turning his eyes back to the ensuing fray.
Not even bothering with what just happened, Vegeta charged at King Mu and they resumed their fight. A fierce close-ranged exchange had just begun. Both of them endured dimension-breaking attacks as they ceaselessly strike at each other without hesitation. King Mu was astonished by this sudden change in Vegeta's demeanor. The God of Destruction was stronger than he was a few minutes before. This made his blood boil with excitement, wanting to fight this guy more.
King Mu decided to instantly raise his power to defend himself from Vegeta's relentless assault. As King Mu released an explosive ki, the aggressive Vegeta rushed in without wincing. He landed a solid punch on King Mu's mask, but all it did was tilt the King of Nothingness' head, who then clenches his fist and drove it right into Vegeta's abdomen, folding him in half.
"Ugh!"
In an instant, King Mu proceeded to land a solid kick on the stunned Vegeta, who staggered back, gagging saliva out of his mouth. King Mu then chased after the God of Destruction, who was blown away and crashed into the walls of the dimension.
"Ghack!"
Vegeta quickly moved away as King Mu tried to punch him. Vegeta yelled, causing a shockwave to push his belligerent opponent away. He roared lengthily once more, powering up.
Vegeta's ki had changed in an instant, the aura surrounding his body had turned from gold to blue. He combined his Super Saiyan God powers with his current form, thus transforming into his Super Saiyan Blue Evolved form.
"Is this all?" Mu asked him coldly.
"Tch!" Vegeta was insulted by his adversary's words. Suddenly, he was sent flying backward by a powerful punch he received on the face, and then another on his back. And another on his chest. He felt several of his bones shatter at the force of Mu's hits and Vegeta had to scream in pain. The King of Nothingness didn't show him any mercy at all as he beat the new God of Destruction to a pulp relentlessly. Vegeta tried to defend himself and attempted to attack back but Mu would either easily break through his defenses or gracefully dodge with unbelievable speed.
But even though Vegeta was being pushed back by the King of Nothingness' mighty assault, which was getting more and more puissant with each hit, he felt excited about it. Inside him, he could feel his fiery fighting spirit blaze hotter, with each damage he received and instantly recover from, it burns greater. He took all potent hits, barely trying to dodge or block them just so this bastard won't get a clue of his plan.
"I see. So this is how it feels when you become an immortal god." Vegeta thought to himself. "This power swelling up inside of me. It's more intense than when I use Ultra Ego back when I was a mortal. My ki is ceaselessly building up within me, and instantly! So this is what Beerus meant! This unbounded power!"
King Mu rushed once again. Vegeta simply let the attacks damage him. Of course, Vegeta would try to fight back but still, it's futile against the King of Nothingness' mighty assaults.
"My power is not enough to match him at all! This bastard's power is unbelievable! He truly is on another level! I wonder how long I could keep this up until I'm more than strong enough to overpower him. Even if he is a Multiverse level deity, there has to be some kind of weakness in him. The question is, what the hell is it?"
Vegeta crashed into the dimension wall once more, breaking through it. The surroundings break like shattering glass and Vegeta plummeted into a planet's crater, face first. King Mu finally halted his attacks and landed next to him, leering down at him with cold, golden eyes.
"I guess I was wrong about you, Vegeta Yonsei." King Mu said, expressing his disappointment on the one who claimed to be the 'Destined Strong One'.
Vegeta only twitched under his foot, not because of the pain. He was instantly healed from all that by his immortality after all. He was twitching because he couldn't help the feeling of excitement caused by the new power pumping within him.
King Mu held up his hand and created a sphere of obliteration. Vegeta rose from the ground, silently gauging at his new power with his opponent's.
"No... Not yet! This still isn't enough!" he thought to himself. He gritted his teeth together and braced himself, glaring at the sphere of obliteration his opponent just created. And he knew that it packed a more intense power than that of what he had seen before. That thing... It's more than capable of eliminating immortal gods and obliterating a whole universe from its existence! He swallowed. He wondered if he could resist this one like how he did with Toppo when he was still a mortal, despite it having something more intense and packs more power than a typical sphere of destruction he had seen so far.
King Mu unleashed a more concentrated Sphere of Obliteration, much more powerful than what the Gods of Destruction use, towards Vegeta and it hit him directly. Vegeta tried to defend himself, catching the sphere in his hands. He was unable to hear Beerus screaming at him not to block it.
It was a great miscalculation on Vegeta's part. The attack was indeed more intense than Beerus or Toppo's spheres of destruction. When he thought he could block the attack, he became wide open. King Mu used this opportunity to smash his fist into Vegeta's stomach, causing him to stagger backward in shock. It was already too late for him to try to move away and before he knew it, the sphere of obliteration hit him.
Vegeta's eyes snapped open and he opened his mouth to let out a blood-curdling scream of pure agony as the King of Nothingness' power of obliteration engulfed him completely.
"Aaaah! Waaaaaah! Gwaaaaaaaaaaaaahhh!"
The purple energy hurled the God of Destruction upwards as his cries of torture intensified.
Vegeta tried to resist as much as he could, forcing him to change to his Ultra Ego form, but this power of obliteration is more hellacious than what he had encountered before. He had no idea if he could keep up even with his Ultra Ego powers or his destructive Saiyan instincts. Not even his powers as a new God of Destruction were enough to make him fight back this much power of obliteration.
He only had his pride, his willpower, his stubborn persistence, and his determination to exist and not allow himself to be defeated this easily, to push him to fight back.
In his mind, his memories of his life in this universe flashed randomly. Pictures of his childhood in his home planet, the pain of losing everything he once swore to save and protect gnawed at his heart, the sufferings he endured under Freeza's reign, the grueling training he went through, and the sacrifices he had made for him to reach where he is now. All of these will become useless, utterly destroyed with himself if he loses here.
Is this going to be his end?
Vegeta still refused to give up. He made a promise to Beerus that he will not let this Universe be destroyed by this damn bastard. He will never lose here no matter what!
If anyone's going to be destroyed here... It's going to be-.
King Mu raised his right hand and clenched it into a tight fist as he declared, "Obliteration!"
"Ngh! No... No! Noooooo!"
Vegeta's blood-curdling scream of agony was muffled by the eruption of the destructive energy. It shook the entire Planet of Destruction and its neighboring worlds.
Several feet away, Whis and Vados combined their angelic powers to create a barrier to protect themselves along with Beerus, Shin, and Champa from the devastating shockwaves the explosion created.
When the dust and smoke cleared, the attack caused Vegeta to be wasted. The Saiyan who had become a God of Destruction fell to his knees on the ground, his Ultra Ego transformation gone. His black eyes were soulless and blank, and his mouth gaping open.
Then his head slumped forward.
He was utterly defeated here.
King Mu stared at Vegeta in silence, in his suddenly confused mind, he was wondering about how Vegeta managed to nullify being obliterated from his existence. Aside from that, he could feel the Saiyan's ki spiking greatly. He watched as Vegeta's immortality automatically regenerated all of his injuries and was astonished by how much power he was sensing rising from him.
"Why are you restraining yourself, Vegeta Yonsei?" asked King Mu. "I can easily tell what you've been planning all along. The Destined Strong One has unlimited power, the more he fights, the stronger he becomes. You knew you're no match against my great power, so you used the opportunity you had to your advantage. I have seen you fight, against the Candidate for the position of God of Destruction of the Eleventh Universe, and against that one who called himself Emperor of this Universe. You've used the same strategy to make yourself stronger until you are able to overwhelm them. You have already mastered the forbidden Secret of Self-Indulgence technique. Now, why won't you release that power? I want to see that new power you gained throughout our fight. Show me."
Vegeta picked himself up, his head still bowed. "I don't know. I guess it's because for the first time in my life, I was truly afraid of myself," he admitted in a low voice.
King Mu started to scoff, "You are afraid of yourself? Why?"
"This power is too much for me to handle. I'm afraid that if I lose control, I might do the same thing I'm trying to stop you from."
"Is that so? Even after becoming a God of Destruction, you still think of these unnecessary things." King Mu said. "A God of Destruction should always think of nothing but destruction itself. You should forget about other things, like protecting this universe or saving anyone. You are a Destroyer and you must act like one. If you truly wish to do this, then focus your mind on destruction alone. For example, your desire to destroy me. That way, all your destructive powers are focused on one thing, the only thing you wish to destroy."
"Vegeta-sama is receiving training from King Mu," Vados said, causing Beerus and Champa to look at her in astonishment.
"He had never done this to anyone. Perhaps, he could see some potential within the Saiyan," Champa said. He began to sweat as he gulped fearfully. "But I didn't expect that Vegeta could master the forbidden Secret of Self-Indulgence technique! I am terrified to think about just how much is the full extent of Vegeta's divine destructive powers now! I can understand why he is afraid of releasing it."
"Try it, go on, and unleash your power." King Mu encouraged. "Don't be afraid of this power. I am here. Focus on me. Think that if you do not stop me, I will destroy you and this universe. Think about destroying me and focus your power on that desire."
Hearing this, Shin started to tremble in fear for what's about to happen if Vegeta chose to follow that instruction. "Is King Mu serious? If Vegeta-sama powers up to his full strength, this entire universe is doomed!" he gasped.
Vegeta finally raised his head to give King Mu a determined glare, nodding in agreement. He braced himself to power up to his Ultra Ego form, flexing his arms on his sides, bent his legs, and continuously roared as he finally unleashed his full power.
"Hraaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaargh!"
This time, despite Vegeta doing this, the universe was calm. No planet shook, no star had exploded, no black holes or supernovas were created. Instead, King Mu was the one experiencing the ominous effects of this rising destructive power. He could feel the invisible waves of ki radiating off Vegeta, pushing him away from the destroyer deity. Everything within him seemed to pulse and shake due to recognizing that ominous great power of destruction being focused on him. Despite this, he was laughing.
"Good... Good... Now you are learning," King Mu grinned at Vegeta, impressed.
Vegeta, bathed in his purple flame aura after unleashing his full strength, disappeared from where he stood and charged at King Mu with a more serious demeanor. As their fists collided with each other, the walls of dimension broke once more and they found themselves in the dimension of swirling strange lights again. There, King Mu and Vegeta exchanged a fierce flurry of attacks, even more intense than what they did a few moments ago. Vegeta could tell that King Mu's finally fighting him seriously, and he was amazed by the rapidly growing strength within him as he fought without holding back, without thinking of anything else but destruction itself, the destruction of his opponent. This is his Saiyan destructive fighting instinct in control and he never felt this wild, so great, so elated like this in a battle before. He could clearly see and predict King Mu's ultra high speed, potent moves and he was able to dodge on time. Vegeta swept his leg to kick at King Mu sidewards, who managed to block it with his forearm. Vegeta spun around with a spinning kick to hit King Mu's head, it got blocked again by the other forearm. Vegeta sneered in annoyance as he dodged an uppercut, but was sent flying sidewards by a kick, breaking his ribs. Vegeta realized that King Mu had powered up again and he flared his ki to stop his momentum in the air. His immortality automatically healed the damage he just received from that blow. Vegeta let out a beastly roar, like an Oozaru announcing its bloodlust, powering up once again and unleashing the new level of power he just got from that.
But King Mu was able to teleport right behind him and crushed his skull with a mighty double axe handle attack. Vegeta plummeted down, and again, his immortality regenerated him instantly and he let out the additional power it gave once more. He attacked King Mu again. This time, Vegeta was able to hit King Mu's mask and they exchanged blow per blow. An equal battle flared between them this time. Vegeta was slowly keeping up with King Mu. Vegeta could feel his ki rising rapidly as he fought, his burning fighting spirit blazing even further. He felt great. He loved it. Soon, he was laughing, enjoying the fierce ultimate battle of his life. King Mu laughed with him, also exultant.
"Good. Good. You're doing great, Vegeta Yonsei!" King Mu said as he was being pushed back by Vegeta's relentless strikes as the God of Destruction begins to overwhelm him. "Now, go on and use the power of destruction!" he instructed.
Vegeta leaped back with a graceful flip in the air to distance himself from King Mu, then he outstretched his right arm, his fingers spread out, his palm facing the King of Nothingness.
As Vegeta's magenta irises glowed, King Mu felt something in his chest pulsed as Vegeta made a connection in him, the pressure locking him in place. Then Vegeta closed his fist as he uttered in a cold voice, "Destruction!"
Something burst within King Mu and it was reduced to heaps of energy. The impact had shattered the walls of dimension and they're back in their original battlefield within the Planet of Destruction.
However, King Mu began to heal at an accelerated rate, much to Vegeta's surprise.
"Just what kind of monster is this bastard?!" he thought in utter disbelief.
King Mu laughed, "Alright, alright. That's enough," as he straightened himself. "I acknowledge you. You are the first person to ever defeat me in battle."
Vegeta's brow ridges furrowed, "What?" feeling offended by that 'acknowledgement'. This fierce battle was obviously far from over but King Mu announced that he had enough and suddenly humbled and calmed himself to openly admit that he lost this fight. Vegeta's pride was insulted by this. He still had not enough. He wanted to make this bastard pay dearly for his mortality by destroying him completely.
As if King Mu read his mind, he continued, "Of course, this doesn't mean that you could destroy me. The power of Destruction the Gods of Destruction possessed doesn't affect immortals like ourselves. Only I have the power to obliterate immortals with my own 'power of obliteration'. Still, you have defeated me in this battle. You have shown quite a surprising potential, Vegeta Yonsei. This is the first time I have seen a newly awakened God of Destruction be this powerful. And there's no one among the immortals who could grow stronger as rapidly as you did, I am beginning to understand why you are the Destined Strong One, the one who will exceed all the deities.
"I congratulate you for defeating me. As recognition, I am giving you this gift."
King Mu held up his hand. A square-shaped golden earring magically appeared on his palm. "This is the same earring like the one on your left ear, but it is also a symbol of the one I acknowledge defeat from. A divine artifact that can perform anything you want it to do. Now, Vegeta Yonsei, what would you want it to do for you?" he asked.
Vegeta stared at the earring for a few moments, pondering about what he needed.
"A limiter," Vegeta replied. "I want it to act as a restrainer to my growing destructive power. With me as a God of Destruction now, I know that as my overwhelming destructive energy continues to grow more powerful, I might not be able to control it. I do not wish to accidentally destroy things that's why I need a limiter."
"As you wish, then."
The golden earring glowed for a moment and Vegeta took it from Mu's hand to stick in over his left ear.
"Thank you," he said.
"Very well, I shall take my leave. I truly enjoyed fighting you. Congratulations and welcome to your new life as an immortal God of Destruction. I look forward to meeting you and fighting you again in the future."
King Mu blasted off in a bright white light similar to what Whis used in his hyperspace flight. He return to the King of All's Palace and he was greeted by Daishinkan and the King of All's guards. Once he found his counterpart, King Zen asked him, "Done already?"
"Yeah. Vegeta Yonsei is now the God of Destruction of the Seventh Universe, just as you wanted him to be."
"Good. Thanks for your help, Mu. I shall send him a gift as a grand welcome for him to his new life as a destroyer deity."
"It's over," Champa sighed in utmost relief now that he was assured that everything is safe.
"Thank goodness. I thought we're all going be destroyed right there," Shin also sighed, wiping his forehead with the back of his hand.
While the two of them were relieved, Yogengyo, Beerus, and Whis were silent as they gazed at Vegeta's back, who was standing still and staring into the skies where King Mu disappeared into. They could tell the Saiyan was shaking in his frustration as he clenched his hands into fists on his side.
Vegeta gritted his teeth together, "Damn it all..." he spat to himself bitterly. Whis and Beerus decided to approach him. Vegeta sensed them drawing closer to where he stood so he did his best to remain his composure and face them with a calm demeanor.
"We haven't gotten a chance to congratulate you on your ascension earlier," Beerus said. "And just as I've thought, you would make a fine Destroyer. The sacred garment of the God of Destruction looks perfect on you."
"You did a great job. You managed to impress both the King of Nothingness and the King of All with your performances in battle. A feat nobody had ever done before. I'm sure they will be expecting great things from you, Vegeta-sama," Whis said.
Vegeta shrugged, feeling strange of the new way Whis addressed him now that he is the guide angel's new master.
"I know," he said, finally turning to face them.
"Now then, it is time for you to finish the contract," Beerus told him.
"Finish the contract? How?"
"By destroying me, of course."
Vegeta's eyes widened at that, "What?"
Beerus gave him a soft but emotional smile, "That's right. The very first thing you must do as a new God of Destruction is to destroy my existence. That way, you can give the divine punishment I deserve for what I did to you all those years ago. Don't you get it? I was saving what Freeza told you for this day. That talkative bastard just have to ruin this moment with his stupidity. Yes, aside from my duty as a God of Destruction, I ruined your life just so you could hate me to the point you would wish to destroy me so that when you have finally become the God of Destruction, you can have all the reasons to be able to do so. But then, you seem to have forgotten that."
Vegeta frowned, giving his master a cold glare, "I did not forget, Beerus. I just came to understand that you were only fulfilling your duties."
"That's not all, Vegeta. There is also one thing that I tried to hide from you. The very reason why I wanted to set you free before this mess with the King of Nothingness happened," Beerus revealed.
Vegeta was confused. "What do you mean? You wanted to set me free?"
Beerus nodded, "That's right. When I ordered you to recollect the Dragon Balls for me, I was going to wish for the contract between us to be canceled, so you can live your mortal life just as you wanted it to be. You see, becoming a God of Destruction would lead you to have a cold, lonely life for all eternity. It's like letting yourself fall into an endless pit of repetitive cycles where you only cause death and destruction wherever you go. You are not allowed to stop because it is your duty to bring balance to this universe and you must not feel emotions aside from your rage. It's a cold and cruel life you have to suffer alone for all eternity, the price you pay despite having no obvious consequences to you fulfilling your mere duty.
"Guilt, shame, remorse, hesitation, regret, sadness, you are not allowed to feel these things when you do your duty. Of course, at the beginning of your new life as a God of Destruction, you may never feel these things. You would enjoy superiority among everyone, you are the most powerful being in this universe after all. But in many years to come, you will realize that becoming the strongest in the Universe is just sad and cruel, you will become empty and cold, devoid of any emotions, only the wish to end this cycle by finding anyone even more worthy to replace you. That is exactly how I felt during these past two hundred million years, at least, until I met you, Vegeta. You were the one who fulfilled that very wish. Yes, I did ruin your entire life in my hopes of you taking away this heavy baggage I carry in my shoulders and my heart. I chose to sacrifice you so I could set myself free from all these things I refuse to recognize because I know that I am a God of Destruction. But after you declared that you never wanted to become a God of Destruction in front of the King of All, it made me realize how much I ruined you and how much I will ruin your life even further if you indeed became one. For the first time in my two hundred million years of being the God of Destruction of this universe, I recognized guilt. I felt guilty for what I did to you. That's why I wanted to set you free.
"But fate had a different decision for you. Look at yourself, look at where you are now. You have become a God of Destruction indeed. While I was proven correct that you would make a fine Destroyer and that you would look good in those clothes, I still feel guilty about this. I have brought you to the inevitable, Vegeta.
"You wish to become the strongest in the Universe. You wish to gain the powers of destruction for the sake of vengeance. This is the price you have to pay. And all these things happened because I ruined your fate for my selfish desires, for my entertainment, for me to end my sufferings, and force you to have it all and suffer in my place. Don't you feel anger? Frustration? Hatred? Why won't you focus it all on your power of destruction and use it to destroy me? Avenge yourself, your pride, your people, and your kingdom! Give me the divine punishment I deserved!"
Beerus abruptly felt Vegeta embracing him into a hug, like a son to his father.
"Vegeta..." Beerus whimpered.
Vegeta pressed his forehead on Beerus' chest, trying to hide the tears flowing out of his eyes. Beerus could see him shaking, both in his frustration, anger, and his sadness.
"You are such an idiot, Beerus-sama..." he sniffed. "I have never forgiven you for what you did to me and my people, but I understand your reasons for doing it. Even after you have ruined my life, played the strings of my fate, and forced me to become a God of Destruction to suffer in your place for all eternity, I still understand your reasons. I could always sense how much guilt you felt every time you face me, no matter how much you try to hide it under your hardened resolve. I know, because despite everything, you chose me, you defended me in front of the other gods, laid your life before the King of All just to protect my pride and my honor, you believed in me and my abilities when the others looked down on me. You supported me and my ambitions, despite it being impossible to reach. You did it because you believed in something only I could do. And for that, I thank you. You may have ruined my life, in exchange for something better. This is everything I ever wanted in life and I will choose this path no matter what."
"Vegeta... Just... Give it to me. Give me what I longed for this past two hundred million years. Give me the peace I want to have. Please." Beerus sniffed, also in tears as he leaned his head over Vegeta's fluffy, spiky hair.
Beerus felt Vegeta's embrace get tighter as the new God of Destruction said, "You have incurred the wrath of the God of Destruction and now you shall receive divine punishment for your unforgivable sins. You have been judged and therefore, your existence shall be destroyed..."
The pressure Vegeta held on Beerus' soul was desperate and emotional.
"Destruction."
Beerus felt Vegeta squeeze his fingers and he felt himself slowly ceasing to exist. Beerus let out a satisfied smile as he slowly turned into dust particles, "Thank you, Vegeta. For all the memories, for the moments you made my boring life enjoyable. Even though you were such a pain in the ass to raise, I was glad to have met you. I pray that you may find someone to fill up that emptiness one day, just as how you did to me. Thank you, Vegeta. And may you become the first God of Destruction to bring a change to the mantle. Good luck, my boy."
Beerus turned his eyes to the man who served him during his reign and gave him a warm smile. Whis closed his eyes to give his respect, and to hide the mourning and sadness he was feeling.
"Whis, thank you very much for taking good care of me all these years, for all the learnings you have taught me and the patience you had when dealing with my tantrums."
Then finally, Beerus turned to his twin brother.
"Champa, take care of yourself. I will leave Vegeta's guardianship with you and Vados along with Whis. Please guide him in my place, like an uncle to his nephew."
Champa just huffed and gave him the middle finger as he childishly stuck his tongue out at him. Though deep inside his tough heart, Champa was grieving for his older twin brother's destruction.
Beerus vanished completely, without leaving any trace behind. Vegeta was left on his knees, in tears and fear of the life ahead of him. He wanted to run away once more, but he knew that the agonized cries of his people would forever haunt him if he dared. Vegeta had no other choice but to accept this new life of his and endure it for all eternity.
The other gods received the news of Beerus' destruction when Whis and Vados reported to everyone that Vegeta had finally taken up Beerus' mantle. Despite most of them were all being rude and sharing animosity towards Beerus when he still existed and was their colleague, they were shocked by the devastating news. Someone asked why this happened so suddenly and the two guide angels relayed the unexpected visit from King Mu and the battle that occurred between the King of Nothingness and Beerus' protégé, now the new God of Destruction of the Seventh Universe, Vegeta Yonsei. Everybody couldn't believe what they just heard about a newly awakened deity being so powerful he was able to defeat the most fearsome god in the multiverse.
Soon after, King Zen invited all of the deities to his Palace to welcome Vegeta as the new God of Destruction of the Seventh Universe. It was there that before everyone's eyes, they saw how the fearsome King Mu greeted and welcomed Vegeta like a respected ally, the first time the terrifying deity ever did to someone. King Zen and King Mu introduced Vegeta to everyone and declared him to be the one who was able to defeat the King of Nothingness and impress both Kings. This confirmed everyone's doubts and uncertainties about Vegeta's abilities and they all began to fear him and show him the proper respect he deserved and towards the strength of the Saiyan who became a destroyer deity.
The gift sent by the King of All was boxed in a carved Indian rosewood decorated with gold, pearls, and colorful gemstones. Inside it was a note written in a sky blue card with gold borders. As intricate as the design was, the childish scribbles on the said note made it look like a joke played by a playful child.
"Nothie and I shared in this gift. This is to congratulate the God of Destruction of the Seventh Universe, for his outstanding work in raising the mortal level of his Universe to the top. Keep up the good work, Vegeta! We look forward to meeting you again soon!" the note read.
Vegeta scoffed and rolled his eyes at the rewarding gift he received after years of hard work and perseverance.
The beautiful box contained just a mere pack of candies.
For several years, Vegeta had been a strict leader in his team, wanting to raise the ranks of the Seventh Universe to become the best Universe in the mortal level rankings. In order to do so, Vegeta had deduced a plan to constantly destroy things that are unnecessary in his Universe so Shin could create more significant beings. Vegeta used his divine powers of death and devastation to make use of the darkness in mortals' hearts. He believed that mortals' emotions such as hatred, bitterness, loneliness, anger, evil desires, are a never-ending cycle. He manipulated these things for him to destroy, and of course, this without proper consequences for the clients. Vegeta would only accept a request if he believed there is a worthy reason for the target to be destroyed. Those who would decide to go with the contract will have to pay with their own souls, just as how he did with those they asked of him to destroy. This also serves as their cruel punishment for their decision, which benefitted the balance of the Universe when Vegeta kills two birds in one stone. He made sure that the Urban Legend about the ritual of summoning him will be widely spread across the universe. Those who would make fun of it were severely punished as well, by him forcing them to wish for destruction themselves as punishment.
Over time, Vegeta had become a cold and ruthless god. He took pride in his abilities and his position, and he was serious and bounded to his duties as a God of Destruction. And because he was always causing death and destruction to all those he deemed as unworthy of existing in his universe, Shin was also able to create more and more existences. Time passed by, there were enough mortal life in the Seventh Universe to make them rise to the top of the mortal level rankings, most of which, Vegeta would test and challenge if they're worth keeping. His overly strict rules about superiority, strength, and pride were a problem most of the time, it interferes with most of his judgments with mortals despite their other usefulness in society. Anyone he would deem as weaklings and useless to him will be utterly destroyed and without caring for any of their other benefits. His goal was to make the Seventh Universe the strongest, feared, and most powerful Universe in the Multiverse after all.
This was the reason why Vegeta always wanted to destroy the Earth and its human inhabitants. He's disgusted by their level of strength and relevance to his Universe. But then, he realized that he found a useful thing about them because of Maguro Nigiri, his favorite food. All ingredients used to make Maguro Nigiri only existed on Earth and the gentle humans were the only ones who could culture these things. His adoration for the food this planet and its pathetic people offered him spared the cursed world from his divine wrath and punishment. That's until he happened to eat that damn fruit Whis brought him. Still, it wasn't enough for him to destroy the Earth and its inhabitants completely despite the curse he put on anyone who would eat the damned fruit, which eventually caused a global pandemic.
He needed a good reason to destroy this damn mudball of a planet. For so many years, Vegeta waited for someone, anyone from this planet to wish for this world to be destroyed, just for him to have that long-awaited reason.
And then it happened one unexpected night...
~Present Day~
Bulma stopped in her tracks as Vegeta finished his storytelling.
"Wait, you mean to tell me that you find us humans to be weaklings?" Bulma gasped at him.
Vegeta turned to her and nodded, "As compared to the rest of the other beings in this universe, then yes."
"When you say 'weaklings', do you mean because we lack physical strength? Is it because we do not have superpowers? Or because we cannot fly, disappear out of thin air, fire laser beams through our eyes or hands, call out a storm, create earthquakes, or transform into electric types like you do?"
Vegeta stared at her in disgust. That 'electric type' name she was using to call his Legendary Super Saiyan transformation was already getting on his nerves.
"Of course not!" Vegeta told her with a frown.
"Then why do you despise us humans so much?" Bulma asked, confused.
"I despise anything inferior to me, most especially the weak and the useless. Humans are weaklings, that's why I despise them."
"What about the Maguro Nigiri? You said it's your favorite food and that only Earth has it. So that would mean humans are useful to you, right?"
"I said that it is the sole reason why you people and this stupid world still exist in my universe."
"Then why do you persist in destroying this world?"
"It's because you summoned me and I won't stop bothering you until you make your decision. I told you I want you to decide the fate of this world for me."
"And if I don't make my decision, are you going to destroy me?"
"If you make your decision, I will destroy this world, and that includes yourself. If you don't make your decision, I will have to destroy you either way. But perhaps, threatening your loved ones will make this contract more favorable to me. So let's just say that if you don't make your decision, then the person you love the most shall be destroyed."
Bulma rolled her eyes at his threat.
"Ha! My parents are dead. My sister's in a coma. Do you think you can threaten me by that?" Bulma told him with a confident smirk.
Vegeta's evil grin widened. "Of course, but are you sure about that? You might regret it sometime later. Don't say I didn't warn you," he challenged.
Her blue eyebrows furrowed in confusion, "...Which reminds me... During the mass shooting in the Pepper Village, you happened to be there. I remember bumping into you before it started. You mentioned that you are a deity responsible for death and destruction. Did you- Did you cause all of that? I've heard some rumors that Saike had entered a contract with the God of Destruction. Is it true?"
"Yeah, Saike Regin had a contract with me."
Bulma paused. So it's true. This caused her to feel uncomfortable. Bulma hesitated at first, swallowing before she asked him reluctantly, "Did you... Did you kill my parents?"
Vegeta scowled at her in his annoyance. "Did you see me do that? Of course not!" Then his lips curved up into a wicked smile. "Although, everyone who died in that incident met their inevitable fate because I happen to be there. As I said, death and destruction occur wherever I go. In places I visit, either someone there is fated to die or that entire world is going to be destroyed."
"Really?" Bulma gasped. She turned her head around anxiously, wondering if there is going to be another mass shooting that might occur. Vegeta gave her a wicked smirk.
"I see that you are afraid," he noticed.
"I... I have PTSD," she admitted to him, shrugging her discomfort.
Vegeta's evil smirk widened as he tilted his chin upwards, his eyes held a crazed look, "Ah... So you are afraid of death." he said in amusement as if he just discovered something quite interesting.
Bulma let go of his hand and turned to face him, glaring at him angrily.
"Why do you think I held your hand in the first place?" she shouted at him. "Of course, I'm afraid to die! I am only twenty-nine years old! A single, young, beautiful lady!"
"Hmph! Such a vulgar woman you are," Vegeta snorted. "If you are so afraid of death, then why did you hold my hand knowing that I am the deity responsible for death and destruction?"
Bulma paused for a moment, asking herself the same question, before she raised her big, blue eyes to look at his onyx gaze as her rosy lips parted to utter, "It's because I trust you."
Vegeta threw his head back to maniacally laugh at her in a boisterous manner. "Hahahaha! You? Trust me? I already told you this, woman. I am an evil, ruthless god. I have killed several lives and destroyed countless worlds far more than you are able to count them. Mortals feared me, sometimes they hated me, most cursed at me. Even my summoner, clients, and contractees were afraid of what I could do to them, not knowing when or where I will appear to take their miserable lives and existences. I am not someone you could trust, not even once."
Suddenly, Vegeta's chuckle stopped and he turned his head to the side as if he was hearing something Bulma couldn't. He frowned as he concentrated on whatever he was hearing.
Bulma stared at him in confusion, wondering why he suddenly stopped, "Are you okay?" she asked in concern.
He held up his hand at her as he continued to listen to the silent voices. After a few seconds, Vegeta finally turned his dark eyes to her, giving her a creepy, devilish smile.
"It seems to me that you still do not believe me when I told you that death and destruction come with me wherever I go. Let me show you what I meant when I said those words to you. Come with me, woman, if you dare."