Murichim poured every last ounce of strength into his body, but he still couldn't break free from that one hand clamped around his throat.
A chill ran through his heart.
He had never imagined that this short, small-framed opponent would be this strong.
He couldn't even shake a single hand.
Cold sweat as big as beans rolled down his cheeks. The instant he realized just how enormous the gap between them was, Murichim immediately decided to beg for mercy and admit defeat.
He struggled to open his mouth.
But all that squeezed out of his throat was a hoarse, meaningless rasp.
The short figure leaned close to his ear and whispered:
"Want to surrender? I'm afraid it's not that easy."
Bang bang bang bang bang!
Murichim's eyes bulged wide. A hailstorm of punches crashed into his body.
Every blow landed with a thunderous crack that rattled the eardrums.
Murichim screamed over and over, pain flooding every nerve.
Many of the fighters outside the ring were scared stiff.
Just what is this Frieza's background?!
He looked so small and unimpressive, but he was casually brutalizing Murichim, who possessed such a powerful physique.
And judging by this guy's attitude, he didn't seem to be taking any of the other fighters on the field seriously at all.
In just a few seconds, Murichim was beaten until he was drenched in blood. Dozens of bones shattered all over his body he was barely clinging to life.
"That's enough! Frieza, leave it there," Beerus called out, worried Frieza would go too far and kill him, violating the no-killing rule.
"Rest assured, Lord Beerus," Frieza replied coldly, "I've been making sure to leave him one last breath so I can enjoy his suffering slowly. Killing him has never been my intention."
Beerus frowned. "Just hurry up and end the match already. Toying with him like this is completely pointless."
Frieza narrowed his eyes slightly, then finally released Murichim.
Murichim collapsed to the ground and groaned miserably.
"I… I s-surrender…"
Almost every bone in his body had been pounded apart; he'd completely lost the ability to move.
On the Universe 10 stands, Murichim's teammates glared flames, cursing Frieza for being vicious, cruel, and insidiously ruthless.
Frieza just snorted, sweeping them with a mocking gaze.
Squelch.
Three-toed feet stepped down onto Murichim's head.
"I seem to recall saying," Frieza drawled, "trash belongs under my feet."
With that, he kicked Murichim's body clean off the stage.
High above, the Grand Priest announced calmly:
"Contestant Murichim, eliminated."
The spectator seats fell silent.
Less than a minute into the match, Frieza had already eliminated one fighter and showcased a terrifying gulf in power.
The fighters from the other universes all looked extremely grim.
"Frieza! Don't get so full of yourself, you only eliminated the weakest among us!"
"Our big brother will take you down the moment he gets serious!"
"Big bro, go get him! Crush him!"
The younger two of the Trio of Danger pumped their fists and yelled, cheering for Bergamo.
"Frieza, you brutal bastard, don't think I'm afraid of you!" Bergamo's eyes narrowed. A ferocious aura roiled off him. "Come on, hit me as hard as you like!"
He spread his arms wide, making it clear he wasn't going to defend himself at all.
Frost, standing nearby, was stunned.
He had never seen anyone make a request like this in his entire life.
Frieza arched a brow, then suddenly rushed Bergamo. His attack arrived in a blink.
Boom!
A violent gust swept out as his fist slammed squarely into Bergamo's chest.
"So strong…"
Bergamo's eyes bulged; he almost couldn't withstand it.
But an instant later, his aura spiked, his entire body rapidly swelling larger.
"Oh?" Frieza let out a small sound of surprise, but his movements didn't pause. He immediately followed up with a flurry of strikes.
Every punch, every kick, hammered directly into Bergamo's body.
Boom boom boom!
Frieza's assault set off intense shockwaves of energy.
The ultra-hard metal beneath their feet was pushed in, forming shallow dents.
"Ha ha ha…"
Bergamo didn't dodge or defend at all, yet showed no signs of injury.
And his body was still expanding, his aura climbing higher and higher.
Watching from the stands, everyone felt confused by what they were seeing.
The two younger wolves, on the other hand, stared at the gigantic figure in the center of the arena with eyes full of worship.
"There it is! Big bro's strongest move Bergamo the Crusher's signature ability: the Crusher Power!"
"Hahaha! Any attack will be absorbed by this ability and converted into big bro's strength. The more you hit him, the stronger he gets!"
"Our big bro is invincible!"
"Big bro! Show them how strong Universe 9 really is!" the two little brothers shouted in excitement.
Bergamo grinned, baring sharp fangs.
"Frieza, thanks for the donation. I've never felt this powerful in my life. Next, I'm going to take you out with a single punch!"
His height had broken ten meters; Frieza down below barely reached his ankle.
"Come on, little runt! Take this! Awooooo!"
Bergamo let out a howl, clasped his hands together like a hammer, and brought them crashing down toward Frieza.
Frieza curled his lip in a faint, cold smile and raised a hand to meet the blow.
Boom!
The shockwave rippled outward, making the entire arena tremble.
Everyone's pupils contracted as they stared wide-eyed at the center of the ring.
Frieza stood completely unmoved, his single palm bracing against Bergamo's massive, full-force double-fisted strike.
"I thought you might be an interesting toy," he said lazily, "but it turns out this is all you've got. What a disappointment."
As he spoke, his figure blurred and vanished.
The next instant, he appeared in mid-air and drove a punch straight into Bergamo's left knee.
Crack.
Bergamo let out a scream, one knee buckling as he crashed down, his huge frame shaking.
That one blow had caused him tremendous damage.
On the stands, the two little wolves went pale.
"H-how… how is this possible?"
"B-big bro, get up…"
They shouted anxiously, close to panic.
Bergamo gasped heavily, forcing himself upright by bracing his hands against the arena. His teeth ground together as he glared at Frieza.
"What did you do just now? Why didn't my Crusher Power activate?!"
"Oh-ho-ho…" Frieza's lips curled. "Just a little trick I picked up while watching the earlier fight."
"What trick could ignore my ability and shatter my knee directly?!" Bergamo roared.
Bang.
Frieza didn't bother answering. He simply drove another fist into Bergamo's other knee.
Crack.
The crisp sound of bone breaking rang clearly across the arena.
Bergamo's legs lost all support, dropping him to all fours on the ground.
"Damn it! Why? Why won't my Crusher Power absorb your attacks?!"
Frieza's answer was a storm of blows.
Crack, crack, crack
Bergamo's body took hit after hit. Blood soaked his fur, and bones snapped in countless places.
He clenched his teeth, trying desperately to maintain his ability.
But as his injuries piled up, the Crusher Power could no longer hold.
His huge body shrank rapidly, like a balloon losing air, returning to normal size.
Tap.
A foot came down without warning onto Bergamo's back, pinning him flat.
Frieza looked down at him from above, his expression relaxed and pleased as he methodically broke more bones.
Bergamo gave a low snarl and, with the last of his strength, swiped a claw at Frieza's throat.
Frieza snorted disdainfully, smacking the arm aside with a casual slap and then seizing Bergamo's lower jaw.
His fingers closed.
Crack.
The bones at Bergamo's jaw joint shattered.
Frieza's expression turned playful as he murmured:
"Oh dear, you can't talk anymore. If you want to surrender now, I suppose you'll just have to slowly crawl off the stage yourself…"
Watching Bergamo endure both physical torment and psychological humiliation, the other universes' fighters felt a cold chill creep up their spines.
The heated cheering that should have erupted at a moment like this never came. Instead, the arena sank into a heavy silence.
Everyone just watched as Bergamo dragged a long trail of blood behind him, inching toward the edge of the stage.
"So this… is the Emperor of Evil…"
On the Universe 7 stands, however, everyone's attention was locked onto the technique Frieza had just used.
"Whis, did you see that clearly?" Beerus asked, his expression grave.
"It was the power of Destruction," Whis said with a mild smile. "Though only a very crude application."
"I knew it," Beerus muttered, face complicated. "He actually managed to comprehend God Ki techniques just from watching Goku and Toppo's fight. What kind of monster talent is that?"
Levos felt a significant pressure settle on his shoulders as well.
So the Great King really is built different…
Of course, saying he learned Destruction just from one match wasn't completely accurate.
It was very likely that during that brutal battle back on the Sacred World of the Kai, Frieza had already stolen a few pointers from Champa.
You sneaky dog.
So His Majesty started hard-grinding long ago!
"I think Lord Frieza has the makings of a God of Destruction," Whis added, eyes narrowing happily.
Levos was speechless.
He strongly suspected Whis was seriously considering grooming Frieza as a candidate for God of Destruction.
If the Great King actually received Whis' personal coaching, wouldn't that be insane?
Fine then. You've all forced my hand.
Time to grind.
Levos poured most of his consciousness directly into the training inside the alternate space.
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