The battlefield was silent except for the hum of golden power radiating from Cooler. His aura shimmered like molten fire, bending the air around him. Across the cracked terrain, Rudra stood alone, his crimson sparks weak but defiant.
Cooler: smirking "The Saiyan is down. It's just you now, little insect. Do you really think you can entertain me as he did?"
Rudra: steady voice "I don't need to entertain you. I just need to stand here until Goku recovers. That's enough for me."
Cooler chuckled at the boldness.
Cooler: "How noble… and how foolish."
He vanished. A golden blur streaked across the field. Rudra barely raised his arms before a crushing fist slammed into his guard, the impact echoing like thunder. His feet dug trenches into the stone as he skidded backward.
Rudra: grimacing "Tch… he's faster…!"
Cooler pressed forward, a storm of punches and kicks raining down. Rudra deflected what he could, absorbing small traces of ki with each blocked strike. His body glowed faintly crimson with every connection.
Cooler: mocking "So that's your little trick. Leeching power whenever we clash. Clever… but pathetic in the end."
Rudra found a window and countered—a swift uppercut to Cooler's jaw, absorbing another flicker of golden ki. He followed with a spinning kick to the tyrant's ribs, pulling in more energy.
Rudra: panting but firm "You'll regret underestimating me. Every hit… makes me stronger."
Cooler barely flinched. Instead, his grin widened.
Cooler: "Good. Then let's feed your greed."
He raised his hands, gathering colossal energy between his palms. A blazing orb of golden death ignited, humming with catastrophic force.
Cooler: roaring "Try absorbing this!"
The massive sphere shot forward. Rudra planted his stance, crimson aura flaring violently. He spread his arms and drew the energy inward. The sheer pressure ripped the ground beneath him, but slowly—agonizingly—he pulled it in.
Rudra: straining "Hrrrghhh… not… enough…!"
He compressed the energy into himself, then hurled it back with a roar. The redirected blast raced at Cooler like a blazing comet.
Cooler lifted a single hand and swatted it aside. The sphere veered off, detonating harmlessly into the ocean, raising a pillar of steam.
Cooler: amused laugh "Is that it? You'll have to do much better."
Without pause, he conjured a second, larger sphere and launched it.
Rudra again absorbed, his aura cracking like molten glass. His veins bulged, muscles screaming in protest. He redirected it—Cooler batted it away.
A third came. Then a fourth. Each one larger, denser, more unstable. Rudra absorbed them all, but his body faltered with every attempt. His crimson aura flickered erratically, unable to contain the overwhelming torrent.
Rudra: staggering, whispering "No… my chakra… it's burning out."
Cooler's eyes narrowed.
Cooler: "What's wrong? Your little parlor trick losing its shine?"
Rudra dropped to one knee, sweat pouring down his face. His hands trembled as he tried to summon his Chakra Bandhan (Chakra Capture) —the sealing technique he'd used before. But nothing came. The crimson chains he once summoned refused to appear.
Rudra: realizing, horrified "I… I can't…! My chakra's already drained! I used everything to absorb the Muladhara surge earlier… There's nothing left to bind him!"
Cooler descended slowly, his smirk radiating cruelty.
Cooler: "So that's it. The insect has reached its limit."
Rudra staggered to his feet, his crimson aura barely visible now. Yet he still raised his fists.
Rudra: defiant "Even without chakra… I'll fight until my body breaks. That's my promise to Goku."
Cooler laughed darkly, clapping his hands mockingly.
Cooler: "Admirable spirit. Pity it changes nothing."
He blurred forward. Rudra swung desperately, channeling the fragments of ki he had stolen. He landed punches—absorbing slivers of Cooler's energy—but each time, the tyrant retaliated harder, pushing him closer to collapse.
Finally, Cooler vanished from sight.
Rudra: wide-eyed "Where—?!"
Pain erupted in his stomach. Cooler's golden fist slammed deep into him, piercing his defenses. Blood sprayed from Rudra's mouth as his body folded over the blow.
Cooler: grinning "Game over."
He twisted his fist cruelly, then pulled it free. Rudra collapsed, clutching his stomach, vision blurring. His crimson sparks flickered once… then faded to nothing.
Cooler hovered above him, golden aura blazing like a god.
Cooler: "I'll admit, you surprised me, insect. But in the end, you were nothing more than a distraction."
He turned his gaze toward Goku's crater.
Cooler: "Now… let's see if the Saiyan wakes up in time to watch me erase what's left of this world."
Rudra's body lay broken, his breath shallow, his chakra exhausted. His mind dimmed into darkness—yet a stubborn flame refused to die within him.
The duel was over. For now.
—To be continued.