Rhode's ruthless, efficient slaughter of Pasda and his crew sent a jolt of pure, primal fear through Yunba. Logically, the bear-man knew his own power—nearly a million—exceeded Rhode's. Yet, a deeper, survivalist instinct screamed a warning: this Saiyan was dangerous in a way raw numbers couldn't capture. The thought of launching a preemptive strike made his spine crawl with the certainty of instant, annihilating retaliation. So, he had frozen, a terrified spectator.
"You're next!"
The words snapped Yunba's frayed nerves. Pressure boiled over into desperate rage. "Bastard!" he roared, the last of his caution burned away. If he was going to die, he'd go down fighting.
"I thought you'd never make a move," Rhode said, a flicker of approval in his eyes. "This makes things more interesting."
BANG!
Yunba's furious fist, carrying the weight of his massive power, was met not with a dodge or a block, but with Rhode's open palm. The impact was solid, yet Rhode's arm didn't so much as tremble.
"Not bad," Rhode commented, as if assessing a pupil's form.
"How is that possible?!" Yunba's shock was visceral. The gap in their measurable power meant nothing? Enraged and confused, he abandoned thought for a frenzy of attacks.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
Fists and feet became blurs of motion, each collision sending visible shockwaves rippling through the air. The serene landscape around the Grand Elder's home was being methodically pulverized, lush grass and soft earth churned into a warzone.
Mid-parry, Rhode's gaze swept the devastation. Careless. They were ruining the Elder's home.
He landed a sharp counter-punch that staggered Yunba back a step. "Aira!" he shouted across the battlefield to where she and Simoreka were trading earth-shattering blows. "Move to an unpopulated area!"
Whoosh!
In the same breath, he was before Yunba again. This time, he didn't throw a punch. He placed a hand on the bear-man's bulky arm. A thought triggered the newly mastered Super Instant Transmission.
Space folded. In an instant, both Rhode and Yunba vanished from the ravaged garden.
Seeing this, Aira didn't hesitate. She disengaged from a furious Simoreka with a swift feint, grabbed his arm, and—replicating the technique she'd seen Rhode use—vanished as well.
Silence.
One moment, the air had been shattered by titanic clashes. The next, only the groaning of the broken earth and the distant, fading echoes of battle remained.
"I never imagined… they could become so strong in a single day," the Grand Elder murmured, his ancient face finally betraying profound astonishment. His perception was keener than any scouter. He had felt the true depth of power Rhode had unleashed for that split second when destroying the ship—a torrent that had made his own vast energy pool feel like a pond before an ocean. He understood, now, the purpose of the Time Chamber wish.
Beside him, Kami wiped cold sweat from his brow, but a sliver of relief cut through his terror. If they are on Earth… perhaps our world has guardians too.
Far across Namek, in a barren, rocky expanse under a bruised sky, space rippled.
WHOOSH!
Rhode and Yunba materialized. The ground here was hard stone, the air thin and cold. A perfect arena.
Almost simultaneously, another warp in space deposited Aira and a snarling, disoriented Simoreka a kilometer away.
No words were exchanged. The temporary ceasefire ended the moment their feet touched new ground.
On one side, Yunba, fueled by fear and fury, roared and unleashed his full, mountainous power in a wild charge.
On the other, Rhode exhaled calmly, his aura compressing from a raging inferno into a blade of focused intent. The real test, against an opponent whose raw strength surpassed his own, began now.
No, to be more precise, Aira's battle was escalating to new heights of ferocity.
Her fighting spirit was a palpable flame, each attack growing more savage, more precise. Against this onslaught, Simoreka's resolve was crumbling. Fear was a toxin in his veins. As his stamina waned and Aira pressed her advantage, his thoughts weren't of victory, but of escape. The stronger fighter was being mentally dominated by the more determined one. The outcome was becoming a foregone conclusion, written in the language of their clashing wills.
In stark contrast, the battle between Rhode and Yunba was a study in cold efficiency.
Bang!
Rhode's kick sent Yunba cratering into the stone ground. In a blur, Rhode was behind him, launching the massive bear-man skyward with another devastating blow. What followed was a one-sided exhibition. Yunba became a living punching bag, hurled between earth and sky by a force he could perceive but not comprehend.
BOOM!
A final, thunderous impact slammed Yunba deep into the bedrock. Rhode landed lightly above him, a foot planted on his chest, pinning him like a specimen.
"I thought you could give me some pressure," Rhode said, his voice flat with genuine disappointment. He hadn't even used Super Instant Transmission offensively, staying in his base form. This opponent, with a battle power nearing a million, had been nothing but a clumsy, powerful child. The gulf between possessing power and wielding it was cavernous.
It seems only a truly superior opponent can provide the pressure I need now.
With that thought, all interest in the fight evaporated.
"Alright. Let's make this quick." Before Yunba could gasp a plea, Rhode's foot lifted an inch, then drove down with annihilating force. A final, wet crunch echoed in the barren arena.
Bang.
Not content with mere death, Rhode kicked the lifeless form aside, raised a palm, and vaporized it with a precise ki blast, leaving only a scorched patch on the stone. In Rhode's view, sending criminals to galactic prison, as in the original timeline, was a pointless delay. Permanent removal was cleaner.
His cold gaze shifted to the other battle. Aira and Simoreka were still locked in combat, both visibly drained. Simoreka fought with the desperate, flailing strength of a cornered animal, clinging to the faintest hope of survival. Aira, for her part, was clearly relishing the prolonged struggle, drawing out the satisfaction of a hard-fought match.
Seeing the delay, Rhode's patience snapped.
"Aira!" his voice cut across the battlefield, sharp and final. "Finish him. Now. Or I will."
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