The power Raditz unleashed shocked everyone. The air around him crackled like fine lightning coiling about him. Even the atmosphere trembled, as though it too stood in awe of that majesty.
"T-This... this is your true self!" Vegeta's palms were drenched in sweat as his expression changed drastically while he stared at Raditz.
"Let's begin." Raditz's lips curled slightly as he struck first, already right in front of Vegeta's face before Vegeta could react.
Vegeta's pupils contracted sharply, his whole body taut as a drawn bowstring. Instinctively, he threw a punch forward, but struck only empty air. Raditz's figure flickered like a ghost and vanished. Unable to sense Ki, Vegeta searched wildly from side to side, completely unable to lock onto Raditz.
Seizing the chance, Raditz kicked him in the lower back, then followed with a Kikoho that blasted him away. The immense force made Vegeta feel as though his body had been torn apart. His back burned with pain, and he had to tumble twice before he recovered somewhat.
Vegeta panicked. He had still held onto a trace of hope, thinking his Scouter had malfunctioned, but now he completely believed that Raditz's Battle Power was truly twenty thousand. That speed, a whole level faster than his own, was enough to torment him for a while.
The thought flashed through Vegeta's mind in an instant, and unwillingness rose within him. Though he was weaker than Raditz, his pride remained. He had a Battle Power of eighteen thousand, after all, along with the experience of countless battles. He refused to believe he could not contend with Raditz!
Saiyan hot blood surged through his veins, and his fighting spirit burst forth! Vegeta was unknowingly growing stronger as well!
If they were going to fight, then they would fight to their hearts' content, fight without holding anything back!
With a wild roar, Vegeta charged at Raditz. The two collided, hundreds of fist shadows crossing in a frenzy. The raging storm howled away at high speed, shattering rocks and cracking the ground. Even the sky became overcast and gloomy.
Vegeta drew upon all his energy, raising the sharpness of his senses by a level. Gradually, he began learning the Earthlings' method of sensing, and though he had not mastered it completely, his extraordinary talent actually allowed him to detect a trace of danger.
"Behind me!" Vegeta shouted as he spun and swept out with a kick.
Raditz was startled. He had just moved at high speed to Vegeta's back, believing it to be foolproof, but Vegeta had actually noticed him! In other words, Vegeta was slowly catching up to his speed.
Saiyans truly were a terrifying race. They could improve with every battle, even improve in the midst of battle itself!
Raditz grew excited as well. What fun was a one-sided battle? This was how it should be. The blood of a fighting race flowed through him too, and his fighting spirit had been ignited.
Raditz swiftly retreated, dodging Vegeta's sweeping kick, then rushed in again almost without pause. After exchanging several moves with Vegeta, he finally landed a punch squarely on his chest and abdomen. With a crisp, loud crack, Vegeta's chest armor shattered! Then his stomach churned, and he vomited.
Raditz did not let the opportunity pass. He leaped above Vegeta, raised both hands high, and smashed them down onto his spine like a heavy hammer!
"Whoosh—"
Like a meteor streaking across the sky, Vegeta crashed into the ground.
Massive energy gathered in both of Raditz's hands, his Ki erupting to its peak. A layer of blazing white light covered his palms, shining so brightly that it was impossible to keep one's eyes open! Vegeta had only just climbed to his feet when he saw the white radiance descending from the sky. His entire world became a blinding expanse of white.
Countless Kikoho blasts shot from Raditz's hands. Blazing white spheres of light flew continuously toward Vegeta, bombarding him without mercy.
The tremendous force made the earth quake in waves, and the repeated booms made everyone in the distance feel uneasy.
"Hey, Goku, they're not going to destroy Earth outright, are they? If they keep fighting like this, it feels really dangerous." Krillin wiped the sweat from his forehead, staring in alarm at the Kikoho blasts pouring down from above.
The continuous Kikoho blasts were nearly merging into a waterfall, crashing down like a torrent. The air boomed, and smoke and dust became a vast curtain that cut off the connection between heaven and earth.
Krillin had no confidence in blocking even a single Kikoho, yet such dense attacks were all striking one spot, all targeting one person. It was terrifying. They had better not blast straight through Earth too!
"Relax. He's already controlled the range. He's only targeting Vegeta's body, so there's absolutely no problem. Besides, Vegeta still has strength left. Feel carefully—hasn't his Ki weakened by much?"
"Now that you mention it..."
"Monsters... He can actually endure such a violent assault!" Even Piccolo could not help but exclaim in amazement.
He had always been somewhat proud. He refused to admit defeat before Goku, and even against Raditz, he had been determined to compete for victory. But witnessing such a battle, his confidence gradually faded. He was like a pheasant standing on the ground, watching an eagle soar high overhead, able to feel only envy.
Soon, Raditz unleashed his final strike. The most powerful energy blast pierced through the air, its brilliant light dazzling and oppressive as it shot toward Vegeta like an arrow. The explosion came immediately after, a mushroom cloud rising with a thunderous boom. The shockwave and tremors spread in every direction, pulverizing the mountains and rocks, while the ground had already been left riddled with devastation.
On the battered ground, Vegeta stood with his legs apart and his hands crossed above his head, desperately shielding it. His armor had been blasted to ruins, and even the combat bodysuit beneath it had several holes torn through it. Blood ran from the corner of his mouth.
Dust covered his body, leaving his face dirty and disheveled, making him look somewhat bedraggled. Yet the fire in his eyes had not gone out. Instead, it burned even brighter. His fists clenched tightly, muscles stretching the blue bodysuit taut.
"Raditz, did you see that? I endured your attack! Now it's time for my gift in return!"
Even as Vegeta shouted, his hands had already assumed a stance. He stomped down, leaving a deep crater in the ground, while his figure shot forward at high speed.
Raditz's expression hardened, and he instinctively became alert.
The two charged at each other, both throwing punches that struck the other's cheek! Almost at the same time, their legs collided as well, shin against shin, their Ki exploding with a deafening crash.
Raditz was somewhat surprised. How has this guy become so much stronger than before? Can he still increase his power?
Vegeta stopped his backward momentum and vanished. He suddenly burst out from behind Raditz, his hand chopping horizontally—
Slash!
Raditz hurriedly ducked, avoiding the blow. Then he swung up his long leg, spun, and delivered a flying kick in one fluid motion. His advantage lay in his long arms and legs, which gave his attacks greater range. As long as he prevented Vegeta from closing in for short-range combat, he could gradually seize the advantage.
Sure enough, the kick struck Vegeta squarely, widening the distance between them.
"Hahahaha! So you're nothing special either!" Vegeta brushed the dust from his body. His signature hair swayed lightly in the wind, and his confident smile returned.
"So your strength after powering up is enough to contend with me." Raditz spoke in a deep voice.
"That's how it should be. I am the strongest Saiyan!"
"Not necessarily. I still have one move I haven't used."
Raditz relaxed his hands and smiled.
Before you continue