"Little monkey, ready?" Before the words had even left his mouth, Frieza vanished without warning!
"BOOM!!!"
A thunderous blast rang out, and Barros flew backward like a kite with its string cut. He slammed into a cliff a hundred meters away, punching deep into the rock face as cracks spread across it like a spiderweb!
But even after landing a direct hit, Frieza showed no intention of stopping.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Several dazzling purple energy blasts shot into the cracks in the cliff like striking serpents, trailing shrill cries of death as they homed in on Barros's hiding place!
RUMBLE!!!
The earth split and mountains crumbled! Boulders burst apart! The entire cliff face collapsed, raining down rubble as dust billowed into the sky.
Yet Barros didn't even let out a groan. He was completely buried beneath the falling rocks.
Frieza swept a cold gaze over his surroundings. Seeing no one, he was about to sneer—
When his pupils suddenly trembled. Amid the drifting dust, a dark figure was walking out, step by step, over the broken rocks!
"Damn beast, let's see how many lives you've got!" Frieza shot into the air in a fury. He raised both hands, summoning a purple-black energy sphere dozens of meters across, wrapped in a current of destruction, and hurled it down at Barros!
Sizzle! Sizzle! Sizzle!
Layers of snowy-white aura erupted around Barros, blazing like molten rock!
He looked up. The enormous energy sphere blotted out the sky as it bore down on him. The wind howled, the air warped, and the ground cracked apart inch by inch!
The veins bulged in his arms as he thrust them overhead. "Haa—ugh—ah!!!"
With a muffled roar, his palms clamped together like an iron gate, and he caught the world-shattering attack!
Sweat rolled down his temples. His clenched teeth bled. He braced his left foot against the ground and slid half a step back, twisting his waist and throwing all his strength into his arms—
BOOM!
He hurled the energy sphere away, sending it hurtling back toward Frieza!
Caught off guard in midair, Frieza jerked to the side in alarm. The purple sphere streaked past him and shot deep into space.
But when he looked back down at the ground, still shaken—
Barros had already disappeared.
Just as alarm bells rang in Frieza's mind,
a dark figure swept over him like a hawk, wrapped in thunderous force, and landed a vicious whip kick squarely against the side of his neck!
Pain struck, and his throat rang!
Before Frieza could recover, Barros was already on his heels in midair. As Frieza flew backward, Barros's fingers curled like hooks and clamped around his throat in a flash!
The veins bulged like coiling dragons across Barros's tightly clenched fist!
The next instant, his crushing punch slammed into Frieza's stunned, twisted face!
Spurt—crack!!
Barros's physical toughness needed no further explanation. Caught off guard and forced to take the blow head-on, Frieza didn't suffer a fractured skull or crushed cheekbones—but four of his fangs snapped on the spot, and a spray of purple-black blood burst out!
RUMBLE!!
The ground exploded, and shattered rock went flying! Frieza was driven deep into the crust, carving a dark trench as the crater's scorched earth curled upward and heat waves surged!
But before the dust could settle, Frieza shot back into the sky with a furious roar, his aura ripping through the clouds as he charged toward the heavens!
The burning pain in his face and the metallic sweetness of purple blood on his lips finally ignited the fury raging in Frieza's chest, consuming all reason—
"Ha... Haa?! You... you dare hurt me again?!!" Blood bubbled between his teeth, and his eyes burned red. "Beast! If I don't grind you to dust today, I'll spell my name backward!!!"
His savage roar had barely ended when he became a streak of purple lightning, appearing behind Barros in a flash.
But Barros had been watching him closely. His mind was taut as a bowstring, his breathing as steady as a deep well. How could he let Frieza catch him off guard?!
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!!!
The two figures collided wildly in midair, moving so fast they were only blurs! Like two meteors crashing head-on, they sent shock waves bursting outward in layers until even the air rippled!
Frieza swept his tail around in a sneak attack. Barros twisted aside and whipped out a sideways kick like a slashing blade!
THUD!!
They shot past each other. Barros spun around and hooked a punch into Frieza's jaw, while Frieza drove a straight punch into Barros's left cheek!
The two of them were sent flying in opposite directions! But Barros's bones were forged like metal, his flesh like steel. Before his momentum had even faded, he twisted his torso in midair, muscles knotted and fascia trembling, forcibly dispersing the violent impact into a string of explosive air blasts!
Whoosh!!
A piercing whistle tore through the air. Frieza didn't even need to look back to know who was behind him!
RUMBLE!!!
The instant he landed, he sharply gathered his strength and stomped down. An entire thousand-meter mountain collapsed and crumbled to dust. Using the force of its destruction, he barely managed to counter all of the remaining momentum!
But before the dust had even risen, Barros was already upon him like a ghost!
Frieza was about to counterattack when his pupils suddenly contracted—a white-flamed foot had silently driven toward his brow!
THUD!!!
He flew backward again, crashing through three rock walls like a ragged scrap of cloth!
A flash of light, and Barros was already after him in midair!
But just as his fist was about to tear through Frieza's chest—
Frieza's eyes flew open, and two blazing purple beams shot from deep within his pupils, as fast as lightning!
Sizzle! Sizzle!!
The sizzling of scorched flesh burst out like hot oil hitting snow!
Barros's attack was abruptly halted. The two beams struck him squarely in the chest!
Fortunately, his bones and muscles had been tempered to a state of perfection. The energy Frieza had hastily unleashed from his eyes only scorched two black marks into Barros's chest, leaving his tendons, meridians, and organs unharmed!
Hiss... that was close! Far too close! If not for this body being tempered by a star core and having its marrow cleansed by Dragon Elephant Prison Suppression, a sneak attack from those sinister beams at point-blank range would have left him paralyzed, even if it hadn't killed him!
Barros's gaze darkened. When he stepped forward again, his footing was steadier and his breathing deeper.
At that moment, Frieza—who should have been a hundred meters away—seemed to squeeze out of thin air. He kicked Barros in the ribs and hurled him brutally toward the ground, then sprang into the air and spun into another heavy kick, sending him flying again!
Frieza spread his fingers, and two spiraling waves of purple flame shot out with a howl, chasing after Barros as he flew backward!
At the critical moment, the hairs on the back of Barros's neck stood on end! He slammed his left hand against the edge of the crater beneath him—
BOOM! The entire rock shelf shattered beneath his palm, sending rubble bursting out like a downpour. He used the recoil to shoot sideways!
RUMBLE!!!
The two purple flame waves skimmed past his clothes and struck the ground, exploding into a lava crater over a hundred meters wide. Magma churned, and heat seared his face!
Before the dust had settled, Barros sprang into the air, white flames blazing around him. He raised his right leg high, taut as a drawn bow, and slashed it toward Frieza's neck with the force of wind and thunder!
THUD!!!
With a muffled impact, Frieza was struck diagonally forward, his forehead slamming into the rock with a shower of sparks!
Barros spun with the momentum and brought his right foot down like a sledgehammer, stamping on Frieza's back!
Frieza had barely pushed himself half an inch up before another stomp made his spine groan, driving him deep into the rock once more!
Before he could catch his breath, Barros had already brought his palms together before his chest. A dazzling golden energy sphere formed in an instant, then crashed down—
RUMBLE!!!
Frieza was driven into the heart of the earth like a cannonball. The ground convulsed violently, cracks spreading like a spiderweb!
After a brief silence, a battered figure burst out of the ground!
Frieza hovered in midair, his face smeared with blood and scorched black. His eyes stayed locked on Barros, his killing intent nearly tangible!
His lips curled into a cold smile, but his voice was chillingly low. "Heh... good. Very good.
"You wild monkey, you've really made me angry—now, right this instant, die!!!"
Before the words had even left his mouth, he rushed forward and punched Barros in the chest!
Then he planted both hands against Barros's chest. Purple light blazed in his palms before detonating with a roar!
Barros flew backward like a kite with its string cut. Frieza leapt after him and slammed a foot into his back, driving him deep into the ground. At the same time, a watermelon-sized purple energy sphere chased after him and exploded!
Barros was still down in the crater when Frieza soared into the sky, raised both arms, and conjured a sphere of destruction dozens of meters across. Purple flames surged, and space itself warped—
BOOM!!!
The sphere crashed to the ground, and the heavens and earth lost their color!
A monstrous mushroom cloud erupted. Planet Vegeta let out a deathly wail as its crust split, its mountains collapsed, and the entire planet shuddered and groaned on the brink of disintegration!!
Deep underground...
Cough... cough...
Barros knelt on one knee amid the pitch-black rock, both hands braced against the ground. Thin strands of crimson blood dripped slowly from the corner of his mouth, leaving dark spots in the gloom.
He was hurt.
For the first time since the battle outside Tis Tuka Planet, he had truly been wounded.
The injury was minor, but that world-shattering energy sphere had still shaken his internal organs. His blood surged, his meridians trembled, and a few mouthfuls of old blood came up before he finally suppressed the residual force wreaking havoc inside him.
Phew...
He slowly exhaled the foul air in his lungs, his heart settling a little. Fortunately, Dragon Elephant Prison Suppression had reached the second level, and the star core had reforged his bones and muscles, bringing them to perfection.
If not for this body, tough as steel and tempered through countless trials, Frieza's sphere of destruction—fueled by all his savage power—would have left Barros with displaced organs and a shattered spine even if it had merely grazed him. How could he have gotten away with coughing up only a few flecks of dark red blood, then standing straight as a blade moments later?
Frieza, whose power had surged to 2.12 million, was now burning through his potential in a frenzy, while Barros had torn open a path to greater strength from the brink of collapse! The gap between them? It had been crushingly hard to bear!
Keh-heh-heh-heh!!
A harsh, savage laugh tore through the sky.
Barros slowly rose, his gaze as sharp as a blade as he fixed it on the purple figure laughing wildly high above!
He didn't rush to move. He simply clenched his fists until his knuckles cracked.
That attack should have been the end, but it had unexpectedly become a stepping-stone. The invisible barrier blocking the path to the peak of his power had been smashed hard enough to crack!
Exactly how much stronger had he become? He couldn't say yet.
But the searing force surging deep in his muscles and the thunder exploding through his blood were both screaming the same thing: he was stronger!
He looked up, the corner of his mouth lifting with cold confidence. The time had come.
Once his resolve was set, Barros shot into the sky like an arrow loosed from a bow. His aura burst forth, and fierce winds kicked up a thousand layers of sand!
The ground beneath him collapsed the instant he launched himself, cracks spreading like a spiderweb for dozens of meters. Shattered rocks shot through the air as dust rolled up, as if the entire planet were wailing beneath his feet!
Frieza's pupils contracted. Before he could recover from the shock of "he's still alive," Barros was already before him like a ghost, looking down coldly at the astonishment still etched across his face!
Seizing the moment while Frieza was still shaken, Barros abruptly opened his hand and turned his palm as if to cleave a mountain in two. He drove a heavy palm strike squarely into Frieza's chest!
Frieza didn't even have time to see the cold smile before a string of teeth-rattling cracks erupted in his ears!
"Gah!" Purple blood sprayed like a waterfall as he flew backward like a kite with its strings cut!
Before the blood mist had cleared, Barros had already streaked through the air, his right leg sweeping like a guillotine blade into Frieza's sunken chest!
RUMBLE!!
Frieza fell like a meteor, crashing through three mountains in succession. Magma burst out, and shattered rocks shot into the sky!
Barros landed lightly just a few steps from the pile of collapsed rubble. He folded his arms and stood in silence, like a grim reaper waiting for its prey to wake.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Rubble burst apart and ash billowed as Frieza, his face smeared with blood and fangs bared, struggled to push himself halfway out of the debris—
But as soon as he straightened his back, his legs gave way. He dropped to his knees with a thud. "Gah—!!!"
A gush of purple blood poured from his mouth. His face was twisted, yet his eyes were terrifyingly blank—
Had he lost? Truly, completely, been beaten half to death by a wild Saiyan monkey he hadn't even bothered to look at properly!
His chest bones were shattered. Every breath felt like swallowing blades, and pain bored into his very bones.
He clenched his back teeth, wishing he could tear Barros apart and devour him alive, then dive into the healing pod aboard his spaceship!
But the reality was that he didn't even have enough strength left to wipe away the blood. His fingertips twitched, and his whole body trembled like a candle flame in the wind.
Let alone... kill someone or escape.
Tap... tap... tap...
Footsteps approached at an unhurried pace, crunching over rubble and silence.
Frieza jerked his head up, his eyes bloodshot. Who else could stroll over so leisurely except that damned Saiyan?!
Barros stopped two steps away and looked down at the emperor kneeling on the ground, vomiting blood. His tone was mocking, each word a barb. "Well, well, the noble King Frieza. You look... even more pathetic than a stray dog on the street."
Kneeling in public and vomiting blood was worse in Frieza's eyes than being skinned alive! And the one humiliating him was the very Saiyan bastard he had personally dismissed as an "ant"!
"Y-you filthy monkey... you're dead..." His throat gurgled. He pounded the ground with his fist until his nails split, smearing blood and dirt across the back of his hand.
"Heh." Barros let out a cold sneer and slowly raised his right hand. A blazing golden energy sphere silently swelled in his palm, its light so brilliant it hurt to look at.
"Frieza, your reign ends here."
Frieza's pupils contracted. He howled, "You made me do this—!!!"
Before the words had even left his mouth, he forced his battered body to lunge and drove a punch wrapped in a foul wind toward Barros's face!
"Tch." Barros tilted the corner of his mouth and whipped his left leg out like a lash, sweeping it hard into Frieza's ribs—
"Gah!" Frieza flew sideways. In midair, he flung out a hand, sending a streak of purple light straight toward Barros's brow!
Whoosh—BOOM!!
Barros casually swatted the energy wave aside. It veered toward the distant mountains and exploded in a pillar of fire.
But amid the billowing dust, Frieza grinned through his bloodied teeth—a sinister smile!
BOOM!!
He stomped both feet against the ground. The rock beneath him burst apart inch by inch, cracks spreading like venomous snakes for nearly a hundred meters!
"Ah—aaah!!!"
His roar shook the heavens. A blinding ring of white light erupted from his body and expanded into a colossal cocoon of light, sealing him tightly inside!
The sky darkened, black clouds pressed down, and lightning snakes danced wildly. Under that overwhelming pressure, all of Planet Vegeta groaned as if it could no longer bear the strain!
A terrifying aura capable of freezing the soul was pouring from the cocoon!
The hurricane cut like a blade, turning sand and stone to dust wherever it passed. The earth broke apart, and the sound of rock layers cracking rang without end. Trenches spread and widened like living creatures, tearing at the ground. The entire planet seemed to wail as it began to fall apart!
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