"This is Super Saiyan!!!"
Golden light enveloped Vegeta from head to toe. Once the power of a Super Saiyan had fully erupted, his battle power soared past 150 million.
The absolute terror Frieza had inspired moments ago was crushed beneath it, wiped from existence.
Their eyes met. Vegeta's lips curled into a mocking smile, his gaze brimming with amusement.
It was exactly like when he'd been taunting Frieza earlier, only now the power of a Super Saiyan made it even more direct.
"You—you actually transformed?!" Frieza clenched his fists. Even though he now knew this was a Super Saiyan, it still stirred powerful emotions within him.
As the Universe Emperor, he had always feared the so-called Super Saiyan legend.
To prevent that possibility from coming to pass, he had wiped out the entire Saiyan race without hesitation. He hadn't expected that one miscalculation would leave him with a dog that had grown up and turned on its master.
In Frieza's eyes, Vegeta had become an ungrateful wretch.
"Isn't it obvious, Frieza?" Vegeta said arrogantly. As his words fell, his aura grew even more powerful.
That imposing presence brought back the trace of fear Frieza had felt when Vegeta first transformed.
It came from the oldest taboo in his family: beware the Saiyan who turns golden-haired...
Long ago, an ancestor of their family had died at the hands of a Saiyan who could turn golden-haired.
Frieza had no idea that he himself was connected to the death of that ancestor, Chilled.
At the moment Bardock was killed by Frieza, a strange power had sent him through time to the distant past. There, he became the nightmare of Frieza's family and ensured that the legend of the Super Saiyan survived.
Frieza forced himself to calm down, telling himself to stay composed.
So what if he was facing a Super Saiyan?!
He was Frieza, the Universe Emperor!! His power was nothing like that of his useless ancestor!!
"Oh? I can see a trace of fear in your eyes again. We haven't even started fighting, and you're already thinking of backing down?" Vegeta narrowed his eyes, seizing every opportunity to provoke Frieza.
Frieza merely sneered. "You really are a comedian, little Vegeta. You know nothing about the power of my final form!"
"Is that so? Then show me. Don't let me knock you flat in a couple of moves again, or it'll be boring." Vegeta raised his hand and pointed his thumb at himself. "And there's something else I need to remind you: you should call me Super Vegeta now!"
The gesture only deepened the killing intent in Frieza's eyes.
To crush Vegeta's arrogance, he would have to overwhelm him with absolute power.
"Then I'll show you that even as this so-called Super Saiyan, you're nothing in my eyes. I can't wait to see you on your knees, begging for mercy." As he spoke, Frieza slowly raised his hand.
The atmosphere grew oppressive.
Vegeta said nothing. Frieza said nothing either.
An eerie silence settled over the scene. Nothing stirred but the wind.
"Die!"
After a long pause, Frieza was the first to break the silence.
A Death Beam shot from his fingertip, aimed straight at Vegeta's face.
Smack!!!
A sharp crack rang out.
Vegeta casually raised a hand and slapped the energy blast apart.
Frieza's expression turned grim and sinister. In an instant, Death Beams rained down on Vegeta as if they cost nothing.
Vegeta didn't take the barrage seriously at all.
His final transformation had unlocked nearly all of Frieza's power, making the Death Beams stronger. But at the end of the day, the power Frieza was showing now only reached the tens of millions.
He was still as arrogant as ever.
Vegeta easily slapped away every Death Beam with his bare hands, standing perfectly still.
"He blocked every one of them with just one hand?"
Frieza's face showed his disbelief. He clearly hadn't expected Vegeta to fend off all his attacks so effortlessly.
"We've gone too far for foolish tests of strength. This is our final battle. We'll settle every old score at once!" Vegeta's gaze sharpened.
Thud! His whole body shot forward.
In an instant, he was in front of Frieza, swinging his fist.
Frieza felt an immense pressure bearing down on him.
He raised his hand to block without hesitation, but he had still underestimated Vegeta's strength.
One punch sent Frieza flying.
This time, though, he didn't lose control of his body as he had in their earlier fight.
Frieza quickly regained his balance, spun around, planted his feet, and surged toward Vegeta, launching a counterattack.
Their fists and feet clashed as they traded blows.
The battle moved from the ground into the sky. Both sides poured on more and more power, and the roar of sonic booms continued without end.
There was no denying that Vegeta kept Frieza suppressed.
No matter how much power Frieza used, Vegeta used just a little more, making it impossible for Frieza to break through the stalemate.
It was bearable for a short time, but the longer it went on, the more suffocating it became.
For someone like Frieza, it was unbearable.
"Don't get carried away!!" Realizing Vegeta was toying with him, Frieza's forehead bulged with veins.
His power surged even higher, and his attacks grew more and more ferocious.
Every strike targeted a vital point. He showed no intention of holding back.
This style of fighting did put some pressure on Vegeta.
But the gap in strength was plain to see.
Given a little time, Vegeta could fully adapt to Frieza's rhythm and use the opportunity to sharpen his own fighting ability.
"I'm not getting carried away. You're the one who thinks transforming makes you invincible. You're still holding back, even now. In that case, I'll get a little more serious and show you what I can really do." Vegeta sneered and unleashed his full speed.
He vanished from in front of Frieza, leaving him without a target.
"What?!" Frieza was shocked. When he sensed something, he didn't dare move rashly.
Vegeta had appeared behind him, back to back.
The atmosphere fell silent once more. At that moment, it seemed as if someone had pressed pause on their battle.