"Vegeta! Vegeta!!!"
"You should be able to hear my voice. I am North Kai, one of the four Great World Kings of the universe, and the god in charge of the North Galaxy. I am contacting you through special means…"
"Don't rush to cut off this mental link. Even though we don't know each other—and you may not have even heard of me—
I must tell you something important. You must take this seriously, because it concerns your life and death, and even the future of the entire universe."
"The Frieza you're facing still has one final transformation!"
"With your current strength, you should be able to kill Frieza right now. So don't hesitate, and don't doubt yourself.
Otherwise, once he completes his final transformation, even if you become the legendary Super Saiyan, you may not be able to defeat him…"
…
Relying on his outstanding combat skill and agile fighting style, Vegeta firmly suppressed Frieza throughout the battle.
Although he could no longer make Frieza feel the same fear and despair as before, Frieza still couldn't gain even the slightest advantage.
Just as Vegeta had expected, with similar combat power, his superior technique allowed him to completely dominate Frieza.
Originally, everything was going smoothly. Frieza's third form was, at best, a decent punching bag.
Then those voices started echoing continuously in his mind.
They didn't just interrupt his thoughts—they directly interfered with his combat rhythm.
For a brief moment, Vegeta's focus wavered, and Frieza seized the opportunity to launch a fierce counterattack.
No matter how foolish he might seem, Vegeta knew exactly who was speaking and what their intentions were.
If North Kai had contacted him before this battle, Vegeta might have responded with some courtesy.
Building a relationship with a World King could have been useful in the future.
But showing up now?
That timing was awful. It was obvious North Kai was treating him as nothing more than a tool.
While resisting Frieza's violent assault, Vegeta was struck in the chest by a heavy punch during that brief lapse in concentration, sending him flying backward.
Before he could stabilize himself, an incomparably terrifying energy blast followed immediately, swallowing his position whole.
BOOOOM—!!!
The beam tore through the landscape, its destructive power so great it seemed to split the world in two, leaving behind a terrifying abyss.
The surface of the water shattered. Smaller islands were obliterated outright, while larger ones were cleaved clean in half.
"Oh hohohoho~!" Frieza laughed arrogantly.
"Vegeta, to be distracted while fighting me—you really are too arrogant! I warned you! To oppose me is death!!"
From Frieza's perspective, even if Vegeta hadn't died, he had certainly been gravely wounded.
Once Vegeta suffered a heavy blow like that, he would no longer pose a threat.
Thick smoke engulfed the area where Vegeta had been, lingering for a long time without dispersing.
It truly looked as though Vegeta had been completely eliminated.
Frieza laughed even more wildly, sharp mockery pouring from his mouth as he ridiculed Vegeta without restraint.
Time passed, minute by minute.
What Frieza didn't know was that Vegeta wasn't dead—
North Kai was being thoroughly scolded.
Vegeta had been fighting perfectly well, steadily suppressing Frieza.
The moment North Kai interfered, his rhythm was disrupted, leading directly to that chain of attacks.
In battles between opponents of similar strength, even the slightest mistake could decide victory or defeat.
In a true life-or-death fight, that moment of distraction could determine who lives and who dies.
North Kai had no way to refute Vegeta's scolding.
After all, it was his interruption that allowed Frieza to land those blows.
He should be grateful Vegeta was strong enough—otherwise, Vegeta really would have died just now.
…
After cutting off the mental connection with North Kai, Frieza's mocking laughter continued to echo across the battlefield, filled with arrogance and ridicule.
Vegeta sighed softly.
"The two great illusions in life," he said calmly, "are thinking your phone is vibrating… and thinking 'I can counterattack.'
You're experiencing the second one right now. Weren't two lessons enough? You just had to try for a third."
His voice spread clearly through the air.
Frieza's laughter stopped abruptly.
Frieza never imagined that after all this time, Vegeta would suddenly speak again—and in such a casual tone.
"You… you're not dead?!" Frieza's eyes widened as the smoke finally dispersed, revealing Vegeta's figure. "How is that possible?!"
Vegeta had taken so many attacks and yet stood completely unharmed.
The most infuriating part was this—
If Vegeta was fine, why had he stayed silent for so long, letting Frieza gloat and ramble on like a fool?
Now he felt humiliated all over again.
Although Frieza didn't understand what "phone vibrating" meant, he perfectly understood the part about "I can counterattack."
That illusion had been entirely his own.
He had truly believed he could turn the tables and kill Vegeta in one decisive strike.
Reality proved otherwise.
It now seemed clear—unless he transformed into his final form, he had no chance of defeating Vegeta.
"There's no need to be so shocked," Vegeta said calmly. "Isn't it perfectly normal that I'm not dead? I simply let you enjoy a brief taste of victory."
"The game's almost over now," he continued coldly. "You can go ahead and transform into your final form."
Vegeta hadn't taken North Kai's warning seriously at all.
Because he understood Frieza far better than North Kai ever could.
Frieza's eyes widened as he stared at Vegeta.
After a long pause, he spoke in disbelief. "You… how did you know I still had another transformation?"
He had planned to reveal it later, but now his trump card had been exposed outright.
At first, when Vegeta realized Frieza could transform again, he hadn't been particularly shocked.
Once you knew someone could transform, guessing that there might be another stage wasn't difficult.
But now, with Vegeta directly naming his final form, it was obvious this wasn't a guess—Vegeta knew.
Receiving no response, Frieza's expression darkened.
"So you knew from the very beginning," he snarled, "and you didn't say anything… just to watch me make a fool of myself?!"
"It wasn't me who made you look foolish," Vegeta replied coldly.
"You did that yourself. You underestimated me at every stage, convinced that after each transformation you could kill me."
"Are you really that confident you can face my final form?" Frieza suddenly regained his composure.
His aura shifted dramatically, becoming completely different from before. "You probably have no idea how terrifying my power will be once I complete it."
Vegeta felt the change and quietly prepared himself.
"Enough wasting time," he said flatly. "Transform already."