A Different Encounter

"Ha ha..."

Raditz burst into laughter. "The answer is simple, Kakarot. You were sent here to wipe out the humans on this planet. We Saiyans are a proud warrior race. We search the universe for planets with decent environments, exterminate the humans living there, then sell those planets at high prices to aliens looking for suitable worlds."

"That is our job. Planets with high battle power are attacked by adult Saiyans, while low-level planets like Earth only need children like you."

Raditz still held a trace of contempt for a low-class Saiyan like Son Goku. Yet this very Son Goku had battle power nearly equal to his own.

Whoosh! Bang!

Raditz's pupils contracted. Son Wuling suddenly clenched his fist and launched a sneak attack. Though Raditz reacted, it was already too late. He had never expected Son Wuling to attack him without warning.

"Gah..."

Son Wuling's fist smashed viciously into Raditz's abdomen, making the pained Raditz widen his eyes.

"You bastard..."

The fist became an open palm, and an energy blast formed. Raditz's abdomen suffered a second blow.

Enduring the intense stabbing pain in his stomach, Raditz steadied himself just before falling into the sea.

"Damn Earthling!"

An energy blast gathered in Raditz's palm, but he saw Son Wuling hovering before him, both hands placed against his forehead.

"Solar Flare!"

Blinding light flooded the clear sky. The fierce radiance forced Raditz to shut his eyes in agony, and he let out a pained roar. "My eyes! Bastard, I'll kill you! Damn Earthling!"

Bzzzz...

Two golden spinning energy blades formed in Son Wuling's palms. Their edges were lined with sharp serrations, and their rotation sliced through the air with a piercing whine.

Destructo Disc!

There was no way Son Wuling had not studied this move. Krillin was still learning it from him, and for that, Son Wuling could only apologize.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

If it came to sensing ki, Son Goku, Piccolo, Master Roshi, Tien Shinhan, and the others would have detected the Destructo Discs. Clearly, Raditz could not.

The pain in Raditz's eyes kept them tightly shut, but years of battle had cultivated a dangerous instinct within him. Two energy blasts gathered in his palms and shot toward Son Wuling, while the Destructo Discs also closed in to attack.

Son Wuling gritted his teeth and used the Energy Control Bullet to guide one Destructo Disc skyward, sending it around in an arc toward Raditz.

Bang! Boom!

Raditz's battle power was greater than Son Wuling's. Though the gap was not large, he was still stronger. His energy blasts shattered the remaining Destructo Disc and struck Son Wuling without losing momentum.

Son Wuling crossed his arms to shield his chest and head. Raditz's energy blast struck his arms, bursting into explosive sparks. His sleeves were torn apart, blood flowed, and the immense recoil made blood trickle from the corner of his mouth.

Raditz's vision returned. Seeing Son Wuling's spread arms, blood dripping from his fingers into the sea, and blood at the corner of his mouth, he burst into laughter at his disheveled state.

"Ha ha ha... You bastard, you dared to sneak attack me."

Son Wuling answered only with a cold sneer. Then, suddenly, an intense sense of danger made Raditz turn around.

"What?"

Seeing the Destructo Disc flying at him, Raditz desperately shot upward—but he was too late!

Slash!

Though it did not bisect Raditz at the waist as Son Wuling had hoped, the Destructo Disc cleanly severed both of Raditz's legs below the knees.

"Argh..."

His severed legs fell into the sea. A shark, drawn by the scent of blood, swallowed them in one bite before swimming down into the depths.

Son Wuling drove his right fist hard into Raditz's cheek. The massive body crashed onto the beach before Kame House, kicking up a violent cloud of dust. Son Wuling caught the Scouter that had flown from Raditz, then leaped back to Kame House.

"Huh..."

Bulma, Krillin, Master Roshi, and Son Gohan were all startled by Raditz's sudden fall.

From the initial clash to the end, only around ten seconds had passed.

"Argh..."

Raditz angrily opened his mouth, gathering an energy blast within it and aiming it at Krillin, Bulma, and the others.

"Ah, not good..."

Son Goku hurriedly stepped in front of Bulma, Krillin, and the others, gathering an energy blast in his hand. Just as he was about to throw it at Raditz—

Whoosh! Boom!

"Gah!"

Raditz let out a pained roar. Son Wuling's kick slammed into the crown of his head. The beach cracked apart, and Raditz's head was driven deep into the sand. Dust erupted like a yellow sandstorm before slowly dispersing and returning to calm.

"Wuling... are you okay?"

Noticing Son Wuling's condition, Son Goku asked with concern.

"I'm fine!"

Son Wuling grabbed Raditz by the hair, lifted the blood-covered man up, and tossed him away like garbage.

Son Wuling put on the Scouter and aimed it at Raditz. Raditz's current battle power appeared before his eyes.

"Raditz's battle power is six hundred and forty. Looks like he's badly hurt."

He took off the Scouter and tossed it to Bulma, then slowly walked toward Raditz, who was still struggling, and stepped without hesitation on his fingers.

"Argh..."

Raditz let out a miserable cry. It felt as though Son Wuling had crushed his fingers beneath his foot.

"Please... save me..."

Raditz felt his body temperature beginning to drop. Both legs below his knees had been cut off by the Destructo Disc, and the beach was stained with a pool of red blood. Even his vision was beginning to blur.

Son Wuling crouched before Raditz, and Son Goku also walked over. Bulma was still shaken by what had just happened and did not dare approach, but when she saw Krillin, Master Roshi, and Gohan going over, she hurried after them.

"Your legs are gone, and you've lost too much blood. You're pressing hard on the wounds. It may lessen the pain, but it will make the blood flow faster. Even if I don't kill you, you'll die within twenty minutes."

Son Wuling's words were like a demon's whisper. Raditz's eyes widened, his mind clearing slightly as he began to break down.

"Stop talking. Please, please stop talking. Save me. For... for Kakarot's sake, I'm his brother! Save me, please!"

Son Wuling looked toward the clear sky in the distance. "The nearest hospital is more than ten thousand kilometers away. At your current flying speed, it would take over an hour to get there. In other words, you've already died at least four times over."

"What... what do I have to do for you to save me? I don't want to die, Kakarot. I don't want to die." Tears welled in Raditz's eyes. His desperate, broken appearance made Master Roshi, Krillin, and Bulma feel some pity for him. Son Goku was just about to step forward when Bulma hurriedly pulled him back.

Bulma leaned close to Son Goku's ear and whispered, "Son, leave this to Wuling. Wuling knows what he's doing."

Son Goku finally stopped, his conflicted expression enduring in silence. Raditz's pleas stirred his compassionate nature. Moreover, Raditz was his brother—he had never imagined that he still had family.

"Then it depends on whether you're honest! Otherwise, if you tell even one lie, I'll throw you into the sea to feed the sharks." Son Wuling's final threat made Raditz nod frantically.

"What exactly did you come to Earth to find Goku for?" At that moment, Son Wuling's icy eyes were like a nightmare to Raditz, branded into his soul.