Restoring Freedom

Raditz was slightly taken aback when he saw the girl's bashful expression. "No need to thank me. My name is Raditz."

"I... I don't remember my own name." The girl blinked her watery eyes, her brows tightly furrowed as though she were desperately trying to recall something. Her expression was pained.

Perhaps something had happened while she was being mechanically modified, causing her to lose her memories, Raditz thought. But it didn't matter even if she couldn't remember. The most urgent matter now was escaping this predicament.

He keenly caught the rumbling sound of machinery starting up and grabbed the girl's delicate hand again. "Come with me!"

"Okay!"

In the girl's eyes, Raditz was the only warrior capable of resisting these terrifying creatures. Following him was risky, but there might still be hope of survival.

Her bright eyes reflected Raditz's powerful back, and the sensation from his hand was so warm.

The passage ahead was broad yet winding. Tiny lights like starlight lined both sides of the gleaming silver walls. Violent tremors came through the floor, and the mobile warriors behind them were drawing closer and closer.

The Tumartians had been right to be afraid. There were an appalling number of these monstrous mechanical soldiers. Ants might be small, but gathered together, they could devour an elephant. Their strides were huge and their advance swift. Their deafening footsteps echoed through the passage. The two of them could hear the mechanical commotion growing louder—not just from behind, but from ahead as well!

There was an interception force up ahead too.

They were forming an encirclement. In a passage with only two ends, trapping Raditz was extremely convenient, especially when these soldiers were practically endless.

The color rapidly drained from the girl's face. Her lips turned pale as her body pressed against Raditz's arm. He could clearly feel her heart pounding wildly.

"Don't be afraid." Raditz smiled. Though he did not dare let his guard down, he assumed a posture of certain victory to reassure her.

The black Metal Warriors had humanlike physiques, completely unlike the bulky mechanical weapons from before. Clearly, it had been continuously trying new methods to deal with Raditz!

They no longer used firearms, instead wielding brutal cold blades. Silver-white blades thrust out from their black bodies, reflecting the surrounding lights. Like diamond stars flowing from their edges, they swung with killing intent capable of splitting earth and severing gold.

The battle was about to erupt.

Several flashes of light streaked past. Silver arcs filled the air as blade winds swept in from every direction. The chill of their edges spread, and sparks flew!

Raditz shielded the girl with one hand and held two fingers together with the other, thrusting out razor-sharp Ki. He used his hand as a weapon and his Ki as a sword, slashing at the Black-Gold Warriors.

Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!

Several forces clashed with Raditz. His Ki flares pierced through the thick armor of the mechanical shells, cut open their defenses, and tore them apart. The terrifying energy even blew apart the cores of the Black-Gold Warriors, leaving them mangled beyond recognition.

In midair, the severed Black-Gold Warriors' broken bodies were flung backward. Metal fragments turned to scorched dust beneath the burn of Ki. In the time it took to turn around, five Black-Gold Warriors had fallen together!

Raditz's Ki infused his fingers, and his movements formed an iron wall!

The Black-Gold Warriors surged forward one after another without pause. They cared nothing for life, attacking, attacking, attacking. The girl was terrified. Several times, she narrowly avoided enormous blades, her steps turning with Raditz's, following the rhythm of his attacks as though she were dancing a waltz on the edge of life and death.

Only, the rhythm was strange, like the breathless maneuvers of some ancient game, cutting down every opponent that rushed forward.

The Black-Gold Warriors were chopped into pieces beneath his hands as easily as slicing melons and vegetables. Parts, lubricating oil, and electrical sparks burst everywhere, filling the entire passage with wreckage. Yet countless Black-Gold Warriors continued closing in on them, wave after wave without end. That was what made them terrifying—they could wear someone down through sheer numbers.

Moreover, through their constant exchanges, the Black-Gold Warriors had gradually become familiar with Raditz's attack patterns. They grew increasingly agile, and their methods became more varied. Some even fired ropes to bind Raditz before coordinating with their companions to launch combined attacks.

With the Kaio-ken at his command, Raditz did not fear such tactics. But the girl beside him could not withstand any more shocks. They could not remain trapped beasts forever; they had to carve out a path!

"Get ready in a moment." Raditz knocked aside a mechanical chain from the side and moved behind the girl.

"Get ready?"

"Mentally and physically."

The girl froze. Then she suddenly felt a force seize her thigh, and her whole body flew into the air, floating in midair! Raditz had thrown her upward!

Below, Raditz turned and charged back. Two Kikoho blasts flew from between his hands. Their brilliant light nearly engulfed every Black-Gold Warrior on one side of the passage. The intense heat triggered a series of explosions, collapsing the corridor section by section and blasting several deep craters into the sturdy iron walls.

A small group of Black-Gold Warriors had already turned to ash, but the massive reserve force quickly evolved transparent shields capable of absorbing energy. Just as Raditz had expected, they could evolve automatically, and at an astonishing speed.

As the girl fell at just the right moment, Raditz caught her and immediately kicked off into flight back the way they had come. He casually fired a Kikoho at the point where the Black-Gold Warriors from both sides converged, using it to obscure their vision. They evolved quickly, but in his Kaio-ken state, he was even faster! Taking advantage of the gap while the Black-Gold Warriors evolved, he smashed through every obstruction and sped toward the room where the test subjects were imprisoned.

The black Metal Warriors were probably a special counterattack trap for the test subject chamber. Once a test subject resisted or escaped, they would be triggered and sent to eliminate them.

To stop Raditz, the doors had automatically shut. After Raditz escaped, the Black-Gold Warriors' pursuit must have opened the doors again.

Sure enough, the enormous room was packed with Black-Gold Warriors, all surging toward the doorway.

Their immense numbers caused a jam at the entrance. Taking advantage of this, Raditz easily entered and successfully reunited with Goku. Goku had already been fighting inside for quite some time, battering the Black-Gold Warriors into complete disarray.

Escape attempts had been exceedingly rare in the past, and there had never been opponents as powerful as Raditz and Goku. Though the Black-Gold Warriors were numerous, their combat ability was clearly insufficient. Under the storm of attacks, their numbers had dwindled, and they were utterly unable to resist.

Ki Blasts shot in all directions with thunderous roars, while blazing streams and icy blades rained down from above, leaving the test subjects dumbfounded.

In their Kaio-ken states, the two of them frantically wiped out their enemies while also dismantling the firearms placed around them. However, because the various weapons struck indiscriminately, many people's cages were shattered, allowing them to secretly escape.

As the last Black-Gold Warrior fell, Raditz and Goku breathed a sigh of relief.

"Everyone, you're free now."