Bastard

At an urgent shout, the ground beneath everyone's feet shook violently. Cracks spread like a spiderweb. Krillin staggered back several steps, nearly tripping over the rubble. Instinctively, he raised an arm to shield himself from the blast of air, his pupils contracting sharply in shock. In the distance, Tang Yangbing stood suspended in midair, blazing with a fiery golden aura whose glare was as searing as a fallen star. The earth beneath him had turned to scorched soil, and rising heat distorted the air. Even the distant mountains trembled faintly. And the man who had always worn that wicked smile—his expression finally changed.

The unchanging curve of his lips froze completely, and disbelief and horror surfaced in his eyes for the first time. He reflexively raised a hand to block, his knuckles turning white from the force of his grip as his sleeves snapped wildly in the raging air currents. "Is... is this really his strength?" Krillin's voice trembled as he swallowed with difficulty, his Adam's apple bobbing. Sweat trickled down from his temples, leaving clear trails across his dust-covered face. Under the harsh light, Piccolo's green skin took on an eerie sheen. His lips were pressed tight, his clenched knuckles white. "He's several times stronger than when he fought Cell..."

His deep voice carried an unprecedented gravity, his cape whipping madly in the howling energy storm. "Tch!" Tien Shinhan spat out a mouthful of blood, complex emotions burning in all three of his eyes. "This guy's a monster! Every time we meet, he's so much stronger it's like he's become a different person!" The martial arts uniform over his chest had been torn apart, and his bare chest heaved violently. Suddenly, the thunderous crack of splitting rock came from the side. Vegeta had driven all five fingers into a massive boulder beside him, reducing the hard stone to powder between his fingers. He gritted his teeth until blood seeped from his gums, nearly mad jealousy churning in his eyes.

"That bastard..." he snarled through clenched teeth, unstable purple energy flaring around him. "I'll never admit defeat! Never!" Every time he thought he had finally caught up to that figure; every time he had pushed through life-and-death training to break past his limits; every time he had believed with all his heart that he would finally wash away his humiliation—Tang Yangbing would crush his pride beneath his feet with an even more terrifying display. It felt as though someone had seized him by the throat and forced him into an ice pit, until even breathing was a stabbing pain. The clouds in the distance were torn open, and sunlight pierced the dust like sharp blades, outlining Tang Yangbing in a sacred golden rim.

He slowly raised his right hand. The sphere of light gathering in his palm gave off a teeth-grating hum, and the space around it began to warp. Fine black cracks flickered in and out of view in the air. Krillin unconsciously held his breath. He saw Tang Yangbing's loose bangs whipping wildly in the energy storm, while those eyes that were always calm and still now burned with golden flames too dazzling to meet. This was the unbridgeable chasm between them and a true powerhouse.

The gale howled, and heaven and earth changed color. For the first time, fear appeared in Android 16's cold, mechanical eyes. He slowly turned his neck, his metal joints making faint clicking sounds as his gaze locked firmly onto Tang Yangbing. Tang Yangbing floated in the air, visible golden currents of energy swirling around him. They surged and rolled like boiling magma, every vortex containing enough power to destroy heaven and earth.

His black hair whipped freely in the chaotic airflow, his clothes snapping in the wind, making him look like a war god descended upon the mortal world. "Rumble—" As Tang Yangbing's aura continued to surge, the entire earth began to quake violently. The distant mountain range groaned under the strain, stones cascading down like rain; nearby buildings shook fiercely, their windows shattering into glittering fragments that filled the air. The clouds overhead were ripped to pieces by the violent currents, forming bizarre spirals. "Tang Yangbing... stop!" Tien Shinhan shouted himself hoarse, all three eyes wide open.

He struggled to steady himself, crossing his arms before his body as he tried to withstand the suffocating pressure. "At this rate, you'll destroy the entire Earth!" Yamcha was blown backward again and again by the fierce wind and had no choice but to form a barrier in front of himself with an energy wave. He gritted his teeth as sweat ran down his temples. "This guy... he's a complete monster!" Ripples ran across Piccolo's green skin under the impact of the energy currents. Staring fixedly at Tang Yangbing in the heart of the storm, he said in a deep voice, "Tang Yangbing! Rein in your energy!" Krillin had collapsed onto the ground, both hands gripping the earth tightly, his nails buried deep in the dirt.

He struggled to raise his head, his voice nearly breaking into tears. "Tang Yangbing... please... stop powering up... Earth can't take it..." "Hiss—" Android 17 sucked in a cold breath, his handsome face twisting from overwhelming shock. He instinctively took half a step back, his long fingers trembling faintly. His eyes, usually tinged with mockery, were now filled with disbelief. He could clearly feel every inch of his skin trembling beneath the terrifying pressure Tang Yangbing radiated. Android 18, meanwhile, had completely forgotten the danger around them. She stood there blankly, her long golden hair whipping through the gale, yet she paid it no mind.

Tang Yangbing's imposing figure was reflected in her azure eyes, and her heartbeat accelerated uncontrollably. She recalled the moment when Tang Yangbing had saved her from danger—his warm, powerful arms, his concerned gaze, and that reassuring presence... A blush quietly crept across her fair cheeks like newly blooming cherry blossoms. Unconsciously, she placed a hand over her chest, feeling the unusually violent pounding of her heart.

Amid this terrifying scene that could destroy heaven and earth, an absurd thought sprang into her mind: "So powerful... so handsome... He's the Prince Charming I've been waiting for..." At that critical moment, the golden energy currents around Tang Yangbing suddenly began to withdraw, receding into his body like the tide. The vortex in the sky gradually calmed, and the trembling earth slowly subsided. Yet golden light that made one's heart quiver still danced in his open eyes, as though they held inexhaustible power. A vast, majestic aura descended like Mount Tai bearing down from above. The air seemed to solidify into tangible shackles, and even the ground trembled faintly.

Android 17 felt as if every bone in his body were groaning under unbearable strain. His feet were sunk deep into the cracked earth, and even lifting a single finger had become extraordinarily difficult. The stones around him slowly rose into the air beneath that pressure, only to be crushed into dust in an instant. "Haaah—!" Accompanied by one final earth-shattering roar, the golden aura around Tang Yangbing suddenly contracted, then transformed in an instant into a pillar of light that shot straight into the heavens. When he finally stopped powering up, the entire valley had been leveled to the ground, with only the intact circular patch beneath his feet remaining.

At that moment, Tang Yangbing looked like a god descended to earth. Every strand of his brilliant golden hair stood on end, dancing like flames in the wild airflow. The aura that had once surrounded him had condensed into liquid golden light, slowly flowing from his pores like magma and gathering into rippling halos at his feet. Every wisp of drifting energy traced fine golden arcs of lightning through the air, giving off a hum that made one's heart tremble. "What's wrong, brother-in-law? Stunned speechless?" Tang Yangbing stepped forward, each footfall leaving a molten-gold footprint on the blackened ground.