Divine Authority

"Fine, you want me to spare them?" Gohan's voice echoed with an ominous weight as he seized Clark by the throat, effortlessly lifting him off the ground.

His eyes blazed with an intense, otherworldly light, casting a foreboding shadow over the island of Themsycira. Goku's heart pounded in his chest, a cold shiver running down his spine. Even Vegeta and Beerus, accustomed to displays of power, found themselves momentarily stunned by the sheer magnitude of Gohan's overwhelming force.

"Well now...this is interesting," Beerus's voice was tinged with a mixture of awe and apprehension as he observed the dark energy coalescing around Gohan like a malevolent aura.

With a heavy sigh and a faint chuckle, Beerus remarked, "That little display might have been a tad excessive, you just gave him every right to remove you from the fabric of the universe, well not like he needed a right but..."

"I think you and I need to establish a pecking order," Gohan's voice carried a chilling edge, his patience wearing thin. Without hesitation, he flung Superman towards the moon with incredible force, leaving a crater visible even from Earth.

"Superman!" Green Lantern's cry of concern echoed through the tense atmosphere, his gaze fixed on Gohan with a mixture of fear and defiance.

In response to Superman's retaliatory strike, Gohan effortlessly blocked the blow but was propelled back, sending shockwaves through Themyscira and disturbing the tranquility of the Amazonian island.

As he came to a halt amidst the vast expanse of space, Gohan's gaze bore down on Earth.

"Guys, this doesn't look good," Flash voiced with unease as he surveyed the unfolding conflict, a sense of dread settling over him.

Seizing the opportunity to address her daughter, Hippolyta's voice cut through the tension. "What is happening, Diana?" she inquired, her concern palpable. "I am certain of one thing, you have all the answers."

"He is a god of destruction," Diana's voice wavered slightly, torn between her loyalty to Gohan and her duty to protect her homeland. "But he is also a guardian of good, striving to maintain balance in the universe."

"A what? I don't think I've heard of such a deity," Hippolyta admitted, her thoughts racing as memories of ancient conversations resurfaced.

Before she could dwell further, a sudden disturbance drew her attention, and snapped her back to reality, standing below the fray.

"I didn't know you were hiding that much strength, Superman," Gohan's voice reverberated as he locked eyes with the Man of Steel.

"I can hit much harder than that, so I am asking you to please stop doing this," Superman implored.

As Superman appealed for peace, Gohan's anger flared. "Are you threatening me?" he challenged, pointing at Superman. "I will show you what real strength is."

The area fell into silence as Gohan's aura burst to life, enveloping him in a crackling surge of power. It was a sight to behold, a display of milky white raw energy, unlike anything they had witnessed before.

As the universe quivered under the weight of Gohan's unleashed ki, a portal materialized above them, drawing everyone's attention. Gohan, recognizing the sorcery at play got to action immediately, 'Unfortunately this is where censorship will be activated, the vision should return shortly.' As he prompted Vermont to end the sorcery manipulation spell.

Lowering his arm, Gohan bowed before the newcomer, leaving everyone astonished. A blue-skinned figure emerged, his gaze fixated on Gohan with a knowing smile.

"Greetings, destroyer god," The Grand Priest spoke, his voice carrying a weight of authority. "It seems you have grown significantly since our last encounter."

"However, I can feel you still have a long way to go," he added, his tone both congratulatory and cautionary. Gohan kept his head lowered in acknowledgment.

"Thank you for your kind words, Grand Priest. I am still training to achieve complete mastery over my strength. Please forgive the foolish mortals for not bowing in your presence," Gohan responded, surprising everyone once again. He then turned to the assembled heroes, his gaze piercing and commanding.

"Everyone, you are in the presence of the Grand Priest, the father of all the Angels, second only to the Grand Presence himself. Bow if you value your existence," Gohan warned.

This made them all freeze. They could feel Gohan's power, and it was mind-numbing. It felt as if he could incapacitate them with just the intention of battle, and one by one, the heroes bowed, acknowledging the Grand Priest's authority,

It was most shocking that Gohan was bowing to another being, making them feel incredibly small. Batman was the first to bend his knee, understanding the gravity of the situation.

"If Gohan's boss was here, the only thing capable of defeating him in battle would be in front of us," Superman began to say, but Batman quickly placed his hand on the Man of Steel's shoulder. "You might be able to survive, emphasis on 'might,' but Earth will be in danger. We know Gohan to a certain degree, but we know nothing about this being. Wait until they leave," he whispered, and even Gohan paused for the sake of Earth. Superman locked his eyes on Gohan, indicating that he wasn't finished.

With a short bow, Superman stood upright.

"Now, onto the second matter," the Grand Priest continued, his tone turning serious. "I believe there might be a test on the arise, Lord Gohan."

Gohan's eyes widened in concern as the Grand Priest smiled. "It would be unfair if we did everything same, I am certain Lord Beerus already informed you of their test, yes? The tournament and the meaning behind it?" The Grand Priest asked as Beerus looked nervous and lowered his head even more.

"O-of course not, Grand Priest! I only explained that he should gather powerful warriors, because they may face a universal tournament soon! That is all!" Beerus finished, the Grand Priest nodded as if scanning Beerus for any sign of deception.

"Alright, I understand," He relented with a smile, "However this will have nothing to do with the Grand Zeno's,"

"You are aware that there was a multiversal tournament in our sister multiverse, correct?" the Grand Priest asked. "After the tournament concluded, the wish made by the Super Dragon Balls was to bring back all the universes that were erased. Unexpectedly, that included all the universes the Grand Presence had previously destroyed." He stopped to let them digest the information before continuing.

"With that, my eldest son has returned, the only evil Angel to ever exist. He has already killed one destroyer god," the Grand Priest revealed. Gohan's eyes widened, and he stood up in shock. Even Whis and Vermont were surprised.

"Wait, Merno is alive?" Whis and Vermont exclaimed at the same time.

"Yes, that's correct," Whis confirmed. "He holds a grudge against the gods, especially Grand Zeno and myself. Somehow, he managed to rid himself of the law that governs angels. But that's not the main issue here. Even though my son is powerful, he wouldn't normally pose a threat. However, if Grand Zeno learns of Merno's return and gets upset, he might erase all of reality. The Grand Presence is innocent by nature, but if it sees you as bad, your fate is pretty much sealed. The emergence of Merno is troubling."

As the weight of the situation settled over them, Gohan knew he would need to marshal all his strength and resolve his underlying issues to confront this new threat. He couldn't afford to be lenient anymore, not with the fate of creation hanging in the balance. But Merno was an Angel. Could that even be possible?

"Currently, I am dedicating all of my strength to hiding these events from the Grand Zeno. If he were to ever find out, not only would he erase Merno, but he would also erase everything else, to ensure he never returns again. The Grand Zeno was once repeatedly insulted by Merno and paid the full price. I shall treat this entire situation as a test for the gods to overcome," the Grand Priest finished, leaving everyone stunned.

"I am here to warn you that he will find another universe to target and destroy. Even with your current strength, you will be swatted like a fly by my eldest son. Make no mistake, destroyer, I hope you can overcome my son and stop him. The macrocosm might soon become unstable. Good luck, Lord Gohan," the Grand Priest said as he turned to Beerus and smiled.

"I trust you will take my words as a warning," the Grand Priest said as Beerus nodded, his face marked with a frown.

"I have heard you loud and clear, Grand Priest," Beerus answered as the blue-skinned man looked at the mortals.

"I wouldn't stress too much. I can feel your fear, but with destroyer gods of this caliber, you already stand a greater chance of surviving the coming tribulation," the Grand Priest explained.

"Excuse me, Great Priest?" Supergirl called out, drawing attention to herself.

"Yes, Kara Zor-El?" He asked, surprising her momentarily, but she realized that, of course, he would know her name.

"Is there no other way to avoid it?" She asked.

The Grand Priest was silent for a few seconds before speaking. "There is," he answered truthfully.

"Then—" She started but was cut off.

"Would you rather I tell the Grand Presence the truth and reset reality?" He asked. Kara clenched her fists. "Dealing with my son would be tough, especially while keeping it from the Grand Presence. But the consequences of involving them are too steep, don't you agree?" He asked. Kara knew he was right, and she was thankful they had a chance.

"I bid you farewell," the Grand Priest said before disappearing. Feeling the mysterious pressure that suppressed them lift when the Grand Priest left felt liberating.

Everyone stood upright in silence as the spell resumed normally.

"Apologies, mortals. The broadcast shall continue as normal," Vermont explained, glancing at Gohan, who was still bowing, lost in thought.

"Now, onto business," Gohan turned and looked at the Furies before saying, "Hakai!" The sound of screams could be heard as they vanished; however, one Fury remained, confused after she stopped screaming in fear.

Turning and looking at Superman, who was fuming at the sight, Gohan exclaimed, "You monster!" Superman yelled angrily, realizing there was no blue superior god in the sky anymore.

"Calm down!" Goku suddenly chimed in. "He is only doing his jo—" But was cut off when a fist made contact with his face, launching him deeper into the island.

"SUPERMAN!" Gohan yelled. His father was not someone who could be struck so casually while he was around.

In that instant, Gohan appeared in front of the Man of Steel and punched towards him, but before it made contact, Superman was grabbed by Flash, who quickly pushed him out of the way.

Gohan stood with his fist outstretched, his jaw clenched, red electrical discharges crackling as he turned and looked at the two.

"Everyone! Please calm down! We aren't enemies!" Flash reminded, nervous; he had moved at a high speed to help the Man of Steel. He saw Gohan's eyes when he grabbed Superman.

'That definitely wasn't my imagination; why were his eyes red? It didn't look like the red-haired form,' Barry thought to himself. 'Has he been...no, Gohan wouldn't do that,'

Diana noticed Barry's attempt to deescalate unease and quickly entered the conversation. "There is no need to fight! We are among friends," she argued as she turned and walked to Gohan, but to her surprise, he stopped her hand before she could touch his cheek.

The universe, particularly earth was completely focused on the battle, it was entertaining but scary even though they were told their home was not in danger.

"With the way things are going right now, Diana, we might become enemies," Gohan explained; Diana wouldn't admit it, but that stung her, and her chest tightened slightly.

"What of the paradise worlds we were going to see? You might think that we will become enemies, but I disagree because I know you aren't a evil, Son Gohan. I trust you," she said as she placed her hand on his cheek. Gohan smiled slightly at her and sighed before he relaxed.

Seeing this, Superman quickly reacted; he had to stop Gohan, even if he wasn't evil, his methods were abhorrent. He charged towards him; Diana was a perfect distraction. 'Let's see how you handle being erased!'

Quickly landing a devastating punch that stunned Gohan. 'Oh shit!' Green Lantern quickly reacted and created a construct and grabbed Diana and pulled her away as Superman's eyes glowed red; the heat vision was unbelievably hot and fast, Clark had clearly been holding back a considerable amount of strength before.

"Gohan!" Diana called out, she had a full view of the heat vision, in fact she felt the incredible heat.

Caught off guard, Gohan took the full impact; his skin sizzled before evaporating leaving part of his arms bones exposed, the skin on his hands almost completely melted off, his hand had just blocked half his face, but his fingers were burned off, his face was half melted off and his upper body had been burned severely to the point where his bones had been exposed and partially melted off, a grotesque image on display for all to bear witness.

The divine destroyer god had been severely injured this time, having lowered his guard, now the entirety of his universe had barred witness to his incompetence and weakened state.

Containing his scream, Gohan just dropped to one knee; he hadn't expected that level of brutality to be used on him by the Man of Steel. "Gohan!"

Vegeta's fury exploded, transforming into Ultra Ego, shaking the island. "You bastard! How dar-" Before he was about to charge forward, Beerus placed his arm in front of Vegeta.

"You will not interfere," Beerus ordered with a serious expression. "This is Gohan's battle," Vegeta wanted to argue but the look in Beerus' eye stopped him as he powered down.

'The reputation of the gods are now being trampled on, you'd better do something or I will.' Beerus thought, as he clenched his fist and narrowed his eyes.

Barry was disgusted at what had just occurred, feeling his lunch start to resurface; he turned and looked away. Even Power Girl was taken aback. "S-superman?" She questioned in stupor.

Her eyes narrowed as well. 'Something seems off.' As she started scanning the environment.

Diana wanted to approach Gohan, but Vermont appeared beside her and stopped her. "I would advise not approaching milord at this moment," he warned as Diana looked at the blue man and then back at Gohan.

Batman had his poker face on but internally he was troubled.

Gohan could not believe what had just happened; he was in so much pain. He needed a second to regather his thoughts, this proved most difficult with his burning body, he couldn't afford to lose control, his eyes turning red as the ground started vibrating before he took a deep breath, the shaking slowed to a stop. 'I have to think. Think Son Gohan, don't focus on the pain, just think.'

"Supergirl! Martian Manhunter!" Power Girl called out instantly, something caught her attention.

One person was shell shocked and before they regrouped themselves they should prepare. "Y-you!" Strix erupted, her green aura exploded as she launched towards Superman.

However, she was drop-kicked by Power Girl and Supergirl, who arrived just in the nick of time. Martian Manhunter appeared beside Strix and held her head and entered her mind, attempting to calm her.

"Everyone, stop!" Power Girl called out, trying to defuse the situation, but unfortunately, that only made it worse.

"No!" Strix yelled as a battle broke out. Her fury was too intense to be extinguished quickly. Getting drop-kicked didn't help either. She pulled her head back and knocked Manhunter away.

"I held back, I showed you the pain you inflict on those weaker than you. Now, do you understand!?" Superman said in anger, but Gohan didn't answer.

The news of the destroyer god dropping down yet again in the same day spread, and contention over his strength and authority started to form.

"I liked you, Gohan, but you are too arrogant," Superman explained to Gohan. "As long as I am here, I won't let you keep doing whatever you want to do," he declared.

Destroyer god? More like the god of getting destroyed.

"I am done being nice," Gohan suddenly answered. 'This happened because I let my guard down,' Gohan growled as his hair started flowing.

"So am I," Superman finished and pulled back and punched.

The blow was stopped in its tracks, being caught by Gohan who focused his effort on the shockwave, nullifying it before it could damage the island.

His body started rapidly healing as he used Super Saiyan God. In an instant, Gohan's fist was implanted in Superman's stomach, knocking the wind out of his chest as blood and spit dripped down his chin, stunning him.

He then leaned back and kicked the Man of Steel in the face, launching him into space.

Gohan turned towards Strix, appearing beside her. "Are you alright?" Gohan asked as she trembled in anger. "Do not let your anger control you," he advised, setting the example by maintaining his composure.

"In times like this it is paramount to remain calm. Protect the planet while I handle this. I don't believe the League meant for this to happen," he ordered, "But!" Strix started but reluctantly lowered her Ki.

"Lord Gohan!" Batman called out, drawing his attention. Making eye contact, the two seemingly having a hidden conversation. But no words were exchanged; he just chased after the Man of Steel. His wounds were gone now that he was in Super Saiyan God. He quickly charged after Superman.

They flew at incredible speeds through space while clashing. Superman grunted in pain as Gohan's fist made contact with his face; he felt his bones break, but he quickly retaliated by elbowing Gohan in the face, although it didn't seem like any damage was done.

He pulled back and kicked at Gohan, but before it made contact, Gohan swerved and punched him in his back, launching him into deep space.

Clark groaned in pain but noticed that he was nearing a blue star. If he was going to fight Gohan, then he would do it with all his strength.

Changing his trajectory, the Man of Steel flew into the blue star, feeling his cells supercharge like never before. It didn't last too long as Gohan fired a ki blast at the star. Seeing this, Clark quickly flew in front of the ki blast, firing off his heat vision, with the blue sun behind him giving him more and more strength.

Gohan stopped firing the beam before appearing behind him. Locking his hands together, he slammed his hands into Superman's back, knocking the Man of Steel down only a few feet.

This surprised Gohan; did the blue star really make the Man of Steel that much stronger? Superman turned around before punching towards Gohan, who simply caught his fist, pulling him close before planting his foot deep into the Man of Steel's stomach.

"And you called me arrogant." Gohan mocked.

The impact created a cosmic tremor, and Superman groaned before grabbing Gohan by the arm and spinning him around, faster and faster before releasing the young god.

Using this time, he flew deeper into the star for as long as he could.

Gohan could only see flashes of light as he was flung through space at incomprehensible speeds, going through dozens of moons and planets before slamming into a planet, rocking the world. Thankfully, they were mostly barren wastelands.

Lying on the ground, Gohan couldn't sense the Man of Steel chasing him; he was absorbed in that blue star. 'Good.'

Superman's strength was certainly unexpected, but considering he was a super-evolved species, it made sense.

"Lord Gohan?" a voice called out, and Gohan turned to see the owner of the voice, realizing he was on the floor in the middle of a palace, he stood up.

"Emperor Augustus," Gohan called out as he floated upwards.

"You seem to be having trouble. Do you require any assistance? I can have my commander assist you?" Augustus asked as Gohan shook his head.

"I appreciate the gesture but no, I believe this is the opportune moment to really show everyone you made the right choice by following me," Gohan explained, as a very hot presence appeared in the sky like a blue star, staring down at Gohan, who just crossed his arms and glared as he flew up and faced the Man of Steel.

"Let's settle this for good. The loser won't complain about the results," Gohan said as Superman just glared at him.

Suddenly, Gohan was gone, having moved at a speed so great that Superman was left stunned for a fraction of a fraction of a fraction of a split second before he turned and blocked a punch that crushed his wrist and injured his shoulder, the impact was devastatingly focused.

Superman gritted his teeth; his arm felt like it broke, but it immediately healed.

Clenching his fists, his eyes glowed red, blasting heat vision at the destroyer. The heat vision washed over the young god, but Gohan suddenly appeared from the heat vision, stunning Superman as Gohan back-handed him, creating a thunderous shockwave as the Man of Steel flew through dozens of planets. 'He flew through my heat vision?' Clark was shocked.

Now he was trying to slow himself down from spiraling out of control through space.

Finally coming to a halt in front of the blue star, Clark's jaw clenched. Gohan smacked him right back to the blue star.

This made Superman realize something. "Finally catching on?" Gohan asked.

"I need you to be at your absolute max, so I can make an example of you, feel free to bathe in the sunlight."

Clenching his teeth, Superman turned and flew into the star as Gohan watched.

Superman returned almost thirty seconds later. 'You will regret that,' Superman thought, as he charged at Gohan but he disappeared from his sight, until he felt a devastating attack launch him through the blue star.

Gohan reappeared on the other side and smacked Clark through the star again towards the other side again, before stabilizing.

"This shouldn't be possible...how strong are you?" asked Superman as Gohan appeared, he hadn't a scratch on him.

Gohan's aura burst to life. "You should have considered that before doing what you did! Just like you and the elites of Apocolypes," Gohan declared as he entered Ultra Ego, spreading his aura of destruction throughout the entire universe, it felt as if it would shake itself apart.

"You have spit on my leniency," Gohan glared.

"In fact, let me give you an example before I finish this," Gohan declared as he grabbed Superman by the neck before he could react; they reappeared in front of what looked like a galaxy, but it looked dull and full dead planets.

Gohan aimed his hand at the galaxy. "Hakai," he ordered, removing the entire galaxy in an instant.

Gohan squeezed tighter around Superman's neck as he started choking. "Are you watching? Because that will be you soon," Gohan threatened.

Letting go of Superman and dropping his guard, Gohan motioned for him to attack; this made the Man of Steel clench his teeth. "Don't mock me!" Superman declared and started attacking Gohan who just watched him.

Super Saiyan God was already overkill; being in Ultra Ego, Gohan didn't even need to actively defend himself.

Superman was just not in his league; he never was. Even if he could destroy planets and entire galaxies, heck, even if he could destroy the universe with his punches, before the lord of destruction, it meant nothing.

The attacks from Superman created violent shockwaves, but Gohan did not budge and just watched the Man of Steel. He raised his hand in an instant and flicked Superman across the cosmos back to Earth. Clark slammed into the surface of Themyscira, creating a crater, and a blood splat.

"Superman!" The league called out rushing to his side.

Gohan landed in front of the league. 

"Enough! You've proven your point!" Supergirl stated as she stepped in front of her cousin's unconscious body, followed by the rest of the league, although Flash and Diana were not present. Gohan stared at them before sighing.

Feeling as if the situation might slow down, the league watched in anticipation.

"Who decided that?" Gohan suddenly asked as his aura burst to life and aimed his hand at them. "I liked you all, but I have a duty to uphold, now and long after you have passed on to the afterlife!"

"G-gohan?" Barry questioned as he covered his face from the intense pressure.

"So we are down to two options: you stay out of my way, or this battle will include all of you, and I am sure you don't want that. Or you can all join your champion in the afterlife," Gohan warned, his eyes glowing red with red electrical discharges and hurricane level winds.

Power Girl and Supergirl turned and made eye contact with each other before nodding and charging at Gohan, who had already disappeared.

"Where did he-" Before they could do anything, that same feeling of eerie dread locked them in place as Gohan stood over Superman.

"Hakai," The scene turned dark as Superman was erased from Earth, leaving a stunned silence.

Goku was flat on his back with his eyes closed, unconscious.

Two Saiyans walked in silence, with one holding a space pod. "Bardock...why are you going through so much trouble? It's not like a Saiyan man to worry about his children, so what's gotten into you?"

"I don't know...maybe it's because I'm constantly fighting, destroying, that I'd actually like to save something for once, especially someone who was judged to be a lower class warrior," Bardock responded before smiling slightly.

"Like my Kakarot," He finished as he placed the space pod down.

Gine walked in front of the pod and touched it gently. "If your father is wrong about this...then, we'll come and get you immediately," Gine finished, tears welling up in her eyes as she stared at her baby boy, her Kakarot.

Bardock leaned closer and smiled as he placed his hand on the pod just as Gine, making eye contact with his son, hopefully not for the last time. "You do what it takes to survive, got it?" Bardock finished as Gine's eyes sparkled, on the verge of tearing up.

Little Kakarot watched his two parents with a look of confusion, and perhaps...sadness, as his mother leaned even closer with his father.

"We'll see you really soon!" Gine croaked out as Bardock placed his hand over the red glass of the pod.

Kakarot reached out and placed his hand against the glass. For some reason, even though the glass was cold, he could feel the warmth from his parents through the material.

Yes...how could he forget.

"Goodbye..." Bardock finished as Goku opened his eyes, a tear caressing his cheek.

'I remember...' Goku thought to himself, his mother and father, they loved him. Perhaps hearing his father's voice and the punch he took affected his brain trauma in a way he couldn't really understand, but one thing was certain: there was a small emptiness where his mother and father would have occupied.

Shaking his head, Goku felt Gohan's ki erupt violently. 'I have to go and see what's happening, I can think of this later.'

Author's Note:

I put this here because I feel like some people just read and comment without reading my note, which is fine but when I really want to get a point across, I will add it in the chapter like this. It won't be a common thing I do, but it will happen every so often.

My Twitter/X handle is Jaded_Author. I will post progress updates there for those interested.

This will be the continuation of the story. Gohan will start taking his duties more seriously. I'm sure many of you were shocked by the turn of events! But many of you wanted Gohan to act more like a Destroyer god, so I had to create a situation for said Destroyer god to develop. Please, I SWEAR, if someone says "This isn't how Gohan would behave" or something along those lines, please stop reading and find a story that you actually enjoy. Because I cannot please everyone, and at the end of the day, it is my story. Gohan will remain the same nice guy, but he has learned a valuable lesson. And yes, he is a bit OOC. Sue me. I'm just sick of those comments. I sound really angry, but I'm not. It just drains any motivation I have for writing when I spend hours writing and crafting this story just for someone to ignore it all and say, "Just so you know, that isn't how Gohan/Superman would act." Ignoring all the time and effort put in. Criticism is fine, but blatantly just remarking on something that literally has to change for the story to progress will not be helpful. Like, at all. I KNOW this isn't how Gohan would normally act, but I am not Toriyama-Sensei.

Superman has literally like a hundred different versions of him. Some don't embody the ideals of Superman at ALL either. This is my creative liberty, because I just know someone will also want to point that out.

Thank you for reading anyway! Have a blessed day.

Have some idea about my story? Comment it and let me know.)