The entire Gods of Destruction palace is divided into ten floors, each serving a specific purpose, but we'll set those details aside for now.
The venue for the Gods of Destruction summit is located on one side of the grand palace. This floor is dedicated entirely to the summit, and it boasts its own space for the event.
Kahn and Whis followed the crowd into the venue. At first glance, the space didn't seem that large, but once inside, Kahn noticed something strange. In the center of the floor stood a massive arena, measuring at least 10,000 meters in both length and width. It was a sight to behold.
Surrounding the arena were three floating stone platforms—twelve in total. Each platform was marked with Arabic numerals from one to twelve, representing the twelve universes. These platforms not only served as stages for the participants, but also as viewing platforms for the audience.
Directly behind the arena, floating in mid-air, was a triangular altar. Atop the altar was a pure gold stone platform, gleaming with a radiant, almost sacred golden light. Embedded into the stone platform at a forty-five degree angle was a purple-gold staff, topped with a black crystal. The divine energy radiating from it was palpable, even from a distance.
Kahn's eyes locked onto the staff, his excitement evident. "Whis, is that the Great Gods of Destruction Staff you mentioned?"
"Yes," Whis responded with a note of awe in his voice. "That staff is a symbol of ultimate power. Every God of Destruction dreams of wielding it. Whoever claims it becomes the next Great God of Destruction."
Kahn could feel the immense energy emanating from the staff. It was no wonder every God of Destruction present was watching it so hungrily, as if they wanted to claim it for themselves.
"Has anyone ever tried to claim the Great Gods of Destruction Staff?" Kahn asked, his curiosity piqued.
Whis nodded. "The most attempts have been made by Lord Beerus. He's tried 357,048 times—and failed every single time. The second-most attempts were made by Lord Quitela of Universe 4, with 330,681 failures. Other Gods of Destruction have tried as well, but the result is always the same."
"Wait, Beerus failed 350,000 times?" Kahn was stunned. "That's incredible... But if he tried that many times, does that mean he's won the Gods of Destruction summit 350,000 times?"
Whis chuckled lightly. "Indeed, Beerus is impressive, but even he hasn't been able to claim the staff."
After a quick tour of the venue, all the Gods of Destruction and their respective Angels took their places. Whis guided Kahn to platform number seven.
With everyone settled, the walls of the venue suddenly illuminated in a burst of purple light, and the floor beneath them also began to glow with a mystical, dreamy radiance. The atmosphere grew solemn.
Then, a voice—ethereal and filled with sacred power—echoed throughout the space.
"Gods, heed my call. The 1,999,999th Gods of Destruction summit officially begins."
The voice continued, outlining the rules of the tournament: "In the first round, competitors will draw lots to determine their opponents. The loser will be eliminated, and the winner advances to the second round, which will determine the champion. The second round follows a points system. Six contestants will advance, and they will challenge each other in various matches. You can challenge one opponent, or several, depending on your strength and courage. Points are awarded for victories and subtracted for losses. After all matches are complete, the one with the most points will be crowned champion and will receive the opportunity to become the Lord of Gods of Destruction."
Kahn furrowed his brow, skeptical. "That sounds like it could be easily rigged. What if the six winners team up and cooperate to score points?"
Whis reassured him, "Don't worry, Kahn. The Gods of Destruction summit is strictly enforced by Lord Zalama, the Dragon God. If anyone attempts to cheat by intentionally losing to another, they will face severe punishment and disqualification, and may even lose their position as a God of Destruction."
Kahn nodded, relieved. "That's good to know."
Whis leaned in slightly and added, "By the way, Lord Zalama is a dragon god. While her voice may seem ambiguous, she has always maintained absolute fairness. If anyone dares to cheat, they will suffer the consequences."
Kahn was surprised by the revelation. He had assumed Zalama was male, but now he understood the truth.
At that moment, twelve purple light clusters appeared above the arena, signaling the start of the lottery. Whis reminded Kahn, "The draw is about to begin."
Kahn stretched out his hand, and one of the purple light clusters flew toward him. As he opened it, a number "1" appeared inside. That meant Kahn would be the first to compete in the first round.
The other Gods of Destruction received their numbers as well, and Kahn noticed that Quitela had drawn number four. The two exchanged a glance, and Quitela sneered.
"You'd better make it to the second round, kid," he taunted. "Otherwise, this will be over before it even begins."
Kahn shot back with a grin, "Don't worry, I'll make sure you stay in the game just long enough for me to beat you back into the sewer."
The tension between them was palpable.
Soon after, the opponent for Kahn's first round was revealed: it was Belmod, the God of Destruction from Universe 11.
The stage was set.