The wind howled fiercely, bringing a chill that seeped into the bone. Abo and Kado exchanged glances, both seeing the surprise in each other's eyes.
Just days ago, Tarble could barely run away with his tail between his legs, fleeing from a group of mid-level fighters. Now, after only a short time, he seemed completely reborn.
"Looks like I'll have to handle this myself," Kado muttered.
Kado's face flushed dark red, his temper more volatile than Abo's. Seeing Tarble's growth sparked an uncontrollable rage inside him.
Tarble could sense that Kado's aura was drastically different from the opponent he'd just faced. Through Raditz's training, he'd begun to master the perception of ki energy and could clearly feel his opponent's overwhelming power.
Not far away, Raditz watched silently, his face as calm as the gloomy sky above them.
The silence lasted only three seconds before the stagnant atmosphere shattered.
Kado struck first, leaping from his bronze throne and charging straight at Tarble. Despite his massive size, he moved with surprising agility, approaching at high speed as the air exploded around him, releasing powerful cyclonic waves.
The spectators cheered loudly, rooting for Kado.
Tarble watched the attack intently, not daring to lower his guard, but he couldn't track Kado's movements with his eyes—only catching glimpses of afterimages.
"So fast!" Tarble gasped as sweat trickled down his face.
Kado's lips curled into a smile. He followed through with a thunderous attack, ramming his head hard into Tarble's stomach. The massive impact launched Tarble into the air. Kado then flew behind him, swinging down hard to smash him back to the ground.
"Go to hell!" Kado brought his hands together, then slowly pulled them apart. Compressed energy formed between his palms—a green orb of light crackling with electricity, making a soft sizzling sound.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Three consecutive energy balls launched one after another, heading straight for Tarble.
Tarble had barely gotten to his feet when he saw the energy bombs falling toward him. He could only brace himself for impact. The triple blast shook him violently, making his blood surge as clouds of dust rolled outward in all directions.
"Hahaha! Even if you've gotten stronger, you're still nothing!" Kado yelled arrogantly, laughing with his hands on his hips as he turned toward Raditz. "Now it's your turn!"
"Your opponent isn't me," Raditz replied coolly. "Tarble isn't finished yet."
A disdainful smile spread across Raditz's face as he nodded to the side. "Look over there."
Kado froze, following Raditz's gaze to see Tarble still standing. Though injured and covered in dust, he clearly had fight left in him.
"Damn, he's more stubborn than I thought!" Kado gritted his teeth and snorted, his eye twitching.
He hadn't expected a Saiyan to withstand such a barrage. Casting a quick glance at Raditz, he charged toward Tarble again.
In Raditz's eyes, this was an excellent training opportunity. Only by fighting opponents stronger than himself could Tarble truly improve!
"Tarble, don't rely on your eyes! Focus on his energy!" Raditz called out.
"Yes, Master!" Tarble shouted back.
Kado's face twisted into a ferocious grin. "I'm afraid it's too late for coaching now!" As he rushed toward Tarble, his figure suddenly split in mid-air—one became two, and two became four!
Afterimages? Tarble was stunned. Seeing four figures rushing at him simultaneously, he instinctively raised his arms to defend.
How could he possibly block attacks from four directions? Several consecutive blows pummeled him until he was spitting blood, his head ringing.
No! If this continues, I won't last much longer! Tarble thought as a knee to his back sent him flying, feeling like his spine might snap. While desperately trying to counter, he keenly sensed the atmosphere around him, realizing that only one of the four figures was real.
CRACK! BOOM! CRACK!
After three more devastating blows, Tarble's vision darkened. He lost consciousness momentarily, but his iron will forced him back to awareness. His mind sharpened, focusing entirely on the flow of ki energy around his body.
"This is the final attack!" Kado sneered, his voice echoing from all four directions as they closed in for a simultaneous strike.
"There!" Tarble gritted his teeth and jumped upward, using all his strength to evade the attack from the left while firing a bright white energy ball from his hand.
In a flash—BOOM!—the ki blast hit its target, engulfing Kado's side in smoke.
"Damn you, kid!" Kado was startled, never expecting his technique to be seen through. His first thought was that Tarble had just gotten lucky. He continued his assault, throwing more than a dozen punches from different angles.
But Tarble could now sense the real body's ki energy, often striking the real Kado preemptively while the afterimages tried to distract him. After over a dozen exchanges, it was Kado who found himself taking damage.
Growing anxious after taking so many hits, Kado recalled his afterimages and rushed in to fight Tarble directly. Though Tarble could sense ki, his speed was still lacking. After resisting a few attacks, he found himself overwhelmed again.
I can't keep going... I can't hold on... Tarble's body screamed for surrender. Covered in wounds, he felt like a punching bag without any strength left to resist.
Then, Raditz's voice thundered in his ears:
"Tarble, you still have power to unleash! Release ALL your energy and fight back! This is your chance to prove yourself! Don't you want revenge?! SHOW ME!" Raditz was eager to see Tarble surpass his limits in the face of danger.
Explosive power? A technique to instantly increase strength? Could he still have a chance? The thought of avenging his fallen comrades...
I can do this. I definitely can.
Kado's ugly expression reminded Tarble of his lost companions, and something deep within him ignited—a power rising from the depths of his soul, bursting through his blood!
Tarble, on the verge of collapse, suddenly clenched his fists. A white aura erupted around his body as he dodged Kado's attack at an impossible angle, then tumbled in a circle to appear behind his opponent.
He channeled every last ounce of power into a blazing white energy ball, which slammed into the unsuspecting Kado, creating a violent explosion. Flames roared as energy waves and air currents surged outward, sending thick smoke billowing into the sky.
"Kado!" Abo leapt from his bronze throne, cold sweat dripping down his forehead as the uneasiness in his heart intensified.
"My God! Is that still Tarble?" The onlookers' eyes widened, unable to believe what they were seeing.
Everyone was shocked by the massive explosion. Many soldiers who had thought themselves elite felt their hair stand on end, their hearts trembling with fear.
As the smoke cleared, Kado stood in a pitiful state. His battle armor could no longer cover his bulky frame, and the wound on his left shoulder had rendered that arm useless.
Tarble, meanwhile, was completely drained.
After enduring so many attacks and using every bit of his strength for that final move, it was only his incredible willpower keeping him on his feet.
"You damn brat, I'll kill you!" Kado roared, his rage erupting like a volcano now that he'd lost the use of an arm.
At that moment, Raditz appeared beside Tarble, reaching out to support the crumbling warrior.
"Well done. You managed to injure Kado, and your understanding of ki has improved," Raditz said with a smile of approval—something he'd never shown during training.
Tarble was drenched in sweat, his eyes half-closed but still conscious. "Master..."
"Now, leave the rest to me."
Raditz's coat billowed wide in the turbulent air like a black banner. His eyes burned with determination, kindling with the fire of battle.
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