Hundreds of warships were instantly annihilated.
"BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!" Massive explosions tore through the sky, the deafening roars assaulting eardrums like countless thunderbolts colliding simultaneously, sending shockwaves in all directions.
Smoke from the chain of explosions filled the atmosphere, blanketing both sky and earth. Ash stained the remaining clouds, while dust and debris rained down in a gritty downpour.
All of Delutha's possessions! Just like that, everything was destroyed... This was definitely not something someone with a power level of 10,000 could achieve—even he couldn't accomplish such devastation!
"You..." Delutha was so shocked he could no longer form complete sentences.
Raditz's imposing figure instantly reappeared on Delutha's left side. With a casual flick of his finger, he sent the sycophantic subordinates flying. Delutha turned his head to look, but Raditz had already flashed behind him again.
This was the first type of teleportation—movement at speeds beyond visual perception.
Delutha's heart raced as he spun around, only to find five fingers pointing directly at his head.
"I heard from Soba that your name is Delutha, and you're some minor warlord, right? With your pitiful strength, calling yourself 'Emperor of the Universe' is truly absurd."
Raditz's open palm faced Delutha, covered with a transparent film of energy that made the air crackle ominously.
When Delutha had attacked Planet Yardrat, Soba had immediately thought of Raditz and contacted Pybara specifically, hoping to enlist Raditz's help in resolving the conflict. A warrior powerful enough to battle Frieza would find dealing with this pretender trivial.
As expected, Raditz had eliminated the enemy fleet with a single wave of his hand. Soba and the other elders watched excitedly from observation platforms, cheering loudly while other Yardrats danced and celebrated.
In the sky, Delutha frantically waved his hands, his face ashen:
"I was wrong! It was a mistake! I never intended to attack Yardrat—I was following orders from my superiors! It wasn't my idea! Not mine!"
"Your superiors? Who stands above the 'Emperor of the Universe'?" Raditz asked with a mocking smile.
Delutha winced and said, "I was just using the title to intimidate. In truth, these warships, spacecraft, and even my authority aren't really mine. Many can verify this. I'm just a minor lord controlling a few planets. Initially, I served under King Frieza, but a few months ago, I received news that King Frieza had been defeated. So I pledged allegiance to Lord Abo and Lord Kado. They lent me these resources and assigned me to attack this sector..."
"Abo, Kado?" Raditz couldn't quite place where he'd heard these names before.
It was clear that Delutha was telling the truth now. Judging by his cowardly demeanor, he was clearly someone who lived solely by borrowing others' power. The individuals behind him must have substantial resources to casually lend hundreds of warships. They would likely be at least as powerful as Raditz currently was.
In fact, while operating under Abo and Kado's authority, Delutha had been plotting his own scheme. He had targeted the rumored Planet Yardrat specifically for its mystical techniques, planning to learn some of these abilities after conquest and then rebel against his masters.
Who doesn't harbor ambitions? Even small fish dream of becoming dragons.
But survival took priority now. Delutha reached behind his back, secretly pulling out a long, black device and subtly moving his fingers.
From the corner of his eye, Raditz caught Delutha's slight trembling movement. His expression hardened immediately.
"What are you doing?!"
"N-nothing..."
Raditz smiled disdainfully, instantly appearing behind him and snatching the rectangular black device from Delutha's hand. With a single "crunch," he crushed it completely.
The entire instrument crumpled into scrap metal, its circuits still buzzing with dying sparks.
"A communication device?"
"Hmph, it doesn't matter if I tell you now. You're one step too late. I've already sent the signal. My reinforcements will arrive shortly. Despite your power, you're just one person! It's not too late for you to surrender."
Delutha once again adopted his villainous façade, seemingly proud of his success in secretly calling for help, mentally congratulating himself on his cunning.
Raditz shook his head, pulled out a similar device of his own, and spoke into it: "Angila, contact our strongest fighters nearest to Yardrat and have them bring their forces here immediately."
With a casual gesture, he crushed his communicator into fragments. His teleportation skills weren't perfected yet, otherwise he would have simply teleported and brought his troops directly.
"You called someone, and I called someone too? Ha! Your bluffing won't work!"
"What? Don't you dare move! Hahaha!"
Delutha's verbose posturing made Raditz seriously consider ending him with a single slap, but curiosity about the individuals behind this petty warlord convinced him to spare the crocodilian alien temporarily.
Raditz crossed his legs in mid-air, closed his eyes, and entered a meditative state.
Seeing this, Delutha prepared to escape. He glanced around and carefully observed Raditz for any reaction.
"THUNK!"
Barely a meter away, Delutha crashed into an invisible wall.
"What the...?" Seeing that Raditz hadn't moved, he was shocked and immediately changed direction, flying to the other side.
"THUNK!"
Another impact sound as his nose collided with the barrier, turning blue from the impact. Delutha extended his hand, feeling the invisible barrier in front of him, clearly sensing the obstacle.
What about upward? Delutha flew up, only to smack the top of his head against another barrier, yelping "YOW!" in pain.
Every direction was blocked! Delutha's mind finally comprehended the situation—who else could be responsible but Raditz? He stared at the Saiyan, his pupils trembling with fear.
"What kind of technique is this?!"
Raditz didn't bother acknowledging him, continuing his meditation practice and treating Delutha's noise as a distraction to improve his concentration.
Below, the Yardrat people gazed skyward, exclaiming in wonder.
...
Half a day passed quietly. For Raditz, deep in meditation, it felt like the blink of an eye, but for Delutha, it was sheer torment. Trapped in the small invisible box for hours, unable to escape, he was going mad.
Worse still, Raditz completely ignored his insults and threats, leaving Delutha exhausted, his mouth dry and his body drenched in sweat.
Suddenly, Raditz opened his eyes and glanced upward.
Hundreds of spaceships broke through the atmosphere, descending rapidly! Their imposing presence resembled a mountain range descending from the heavens, inspiring awe and dread in equal measure.
"They're here!" Delutha's eyes widened as he spotted what he believed to be his salvation, his face unable to contain his joy.
Raditz displayed a confident smile and, with a simple wave of his hand, brought the hundreds of approaching spacecraft to an obedient halt.
Thousands of grim-faced fighters emerged from the ships, each wearing combat uniforms and bearing fierce expressions. They certainly looked ready for battle. The Yardrats were startled, quickly hiding themselves. Meanwhile, Delutha waved frantically, welcoming what he assumed were his rescuers!
But then the fighters spoke in unison, and with a single sentence, Delutha's face froze, his waving hands suspended in mid-air.
"Lord Raditz, we apologize for our late arrival!"
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