In Dragon Ball: A brutal beating of Frieza at the start

Page 238

With the precise calculations of her mechanical body, Number 18 narrowly navigated the gaps between the tentacles, and her energy shots had little effect on them.

"Don't come any closer!" Trunks swung his sword at an oncoming tentacle. The blades clashed, sparks flying, but the tentacle was extremely tough, leaving only shallow marks. Instead, it wrapped around the sword! A chilling, swallowing sensation instantly spread up his arm, and his strength rapidly drained away! "Damn it!" he roared, bursting out with energy to barely shake off the tentacle, staggering backward.

On the other side, facing the tentacles rushing straight at his face, the owl only had time to erect a weak protective shield.

"puff!"

The protective shield shattered instantly, and the tentacle slammed into his chest.

"Ah...!" Night Owl screamed and flew backward, spitting blood. He crashed into the wall and slid to the ground, where he fell silent.

"Night Owl!" Trunks' eyes instantly turned red.

More tentacles, like sharks smelling blood, blocked all of Lin Ye's escape routes from all directions, their icy devouring intent firmly locking onto him.

Lin Ye's pupils constricted. He could barely stand, let alone dodge! He could only squeeze out the last bit of Super Saiyan God power in his body, igniting a thin layer of emerald green flames on his body.

"Mr. Lin Ye!" Trunks tried to rush over, but was tightly entangled by several other tentacles and could hardly protect himself.

Vegeta and Android 18 were also surrounded and separated by more tentacles, making it difficult for them to help.

It looked like Lin Ye was about to be swallowed by the shadow...

At the critical moment! A ruthless glint flashed in Lin Ye's eyes. He stopped defending and instead poured all his will and that faint aura into the fragment of the Key of Creation!

"Buzz...!"

The fragments suddenly erupted with unprecedented heat and light! An ancient, boundless power, carrying the meaning of creation and end, spread out from its center! This was not an attack, but a declaration of a higher level of "existence," a rejection by the "laws"!

"Hiss hiss hiss...!"

Like a red-hot iron block falling into icy water, the shadowy tentacles that came into contact with it instantly emitted a violent corrosive sound and puffs of blue smoke! That all-consuming attribute crumbled and quickly dissolved and retreated in the face of this more primal power!

"That damned fragment again!" Mirror Lin Ye's expression changed, feeling his control over the tentacles forcibly severed. He acted decisively, abandoning the corrupted tentacles, his figure vanishing like a ghost, appearing in front of Lin Ye in the next instant, his fist, covered in eerie blue energy, aimed straight for Lin Ye's face! He intended to take advantage of Lin Ye's moment of exhaustion to deliver a fatal blow at close range!

This punch was faster than lightning, enough to shatter stars! Lin Ye's old strength was exhausted, and new strength had not yet been generated, so he had no way to dodge it!

"Your opponent is me! Imposter!"

Vegeta roared! He had somehow torn apart the entangled tentacles, his body covered in blood like a madman, and charged forward, slamming his shoulder into Mirror Image Lin Ye's fist!

"Oh!"

The dull thud of the impact was enough to make your teeth ache. Vegeta staggered backward from the force of the impact, his shoulder blades cracking under the strain, but he managed to deflect the deadly punch. The force of the punch grazed Lin Ye's ear, stinging his cheek.

"Vegeta!" Lin Yexin's heart tightened.

"Stop talking nonsense! Do what you're supposed to do!" Vegeta spat out the blood in his mouth, forcibly steadied himself, and assumed a fighting stance again, staring intently at the mirror image. "This copy is mine!"

Mirror Lin Ye glanced at Vegeta, then looked at Lin Ye who was struggling to communicate with the fragments, his eyes flashing with murderous intent: "Want to die so badly? Fine, I'll grant your wish!"

He abandoned Lin Ye and turned to attack Vegeta with all his might! The azure energy in his hands transformed into knives, swords, spears, and halberds, his moves ruthless and cunning, each strike carrying the corrosive properties of void energy.

"Come on!" Vegeta roared, his deep blue flames burning to their limit, unleashing the Saiyan prince's pride and fighting instincts to the extreme as he fiercely met the challenge! However, he was clearly at a disadvantage, his attacks failing to break through the opponent's void defense, while he himself continued to inflict new wounds, his aura beginning to become disordered and decline.

Android 18 broke free of the tentacles and attempted to provide remote support, but the energy beams hitting the mirror image had little effect. Trunks desperately severed the tentacles to join the battle, but was forced back by a ghostly blue shockwave casually unleashed by the mirror image.

Things took a turn for the worse!

Seeing Vegeta bleeding profusely under the relentless attacks, struggling to hold on, Lin Ye was extremely anxious. He frantically communicated with the fragments: "Not enough! Not enough! Give me power!"

The fragments burned in his palm, and a vast, ancient will seemed to respond, a purer, more ancient power slowly flowing into his parched body. Too slow! Vegeta can't hold on that long!

"Lin Ye!" Number 18's voice pierced through the battlefield's clamor, "Attack the energy center! The one in the dome! That's his source of power, and the core of the Ark! Destroy it!"

Lin Ye suddenly looked up at the pulsating, dark blue crystal in the dome!

That's right! The power of the Mirror is of the same origin as the Ark!

But that thing was suspended high in the dome, protected by a powerful energy field, rendering ordinary attacks ineffective, and he couldn't fly up there...

"Vegeta!" Lin Ye roared, "Throw me up there! Aim at that crystal!"

Vegeta, who was bracing against the mirror image's energy slash, was initially stunned, but instantly understood his intention. A mad glint flashed in his eyes, and he actually used his chest to take the mirror image's follow-up punch head-on, using the force to retreat while grabbing Lin Ye's arm as he charged towards him!

"Hahhhhh...!" Vegeta roared, channeling the last of his strength into his arms, his muscles bulging so much they tore his battle suit apart! He grabbed Lin Ye and, like throwing a javelin, hurled him with all his might toward the energy center of the dome!

"You're courting death!" Mirror Lin Ye saw through the intention, his expression changed drastically, and he could no longer care about Vegeta. He burst into the air, transforming into a streak of dark blue light as he chased after Lin Ye in mid-air! He conjured two enormous dark blue energy blades in his hands, slashing them at Lin Ye's back! He intended to intercept and kill him in mid-air!

"Your opponent... is me!"

Number 18's icy voice rang out! She turned the thrusters to maximum power, like a suicide attack, and slammed into Mirror Image Lin Ye from the side! Her intact right arm locked tightly around Mirror Image's waist, while her damaged left arm directly detonated the remaining energy inside!

"boom!"

The explosion flashed through the air as Number 18's mangled body plummeted to the ground. But this self-sacrificing attack successfully delayed the mirror image for a fleeting moment!

Just this one moment!

Lin Ye, thrown with all his might by Vegeta, was like a shooting star shooting backwards. Protected by the light of the Key of Creation fragment, he broke through the powerful force field surrounding the energy center and crashed hard into the pulsating blue crystal!

Instead of attacking, he pressed his hands, along with the scorching fragments, firmly onto the crystal surface!

"Let it end!" He unleashed his entire will, along with the ancient power surging from the fragments, into the energy core without reservation!

Chapter 507 Void Exile

"Boom!..."

A deafening roar nearly ripped the dome of the Ark's core control room off its surface. The cracking of metal structures mingled with the booming of energy explosions, weaving a giant net of despair that trapped everyone in its center. Cracks in the dome spread at a visible speed, much like lightning in the clouds before a storm, except this "lightning" brought not life, but utter destruction... Large chunks of metal plates inlaid with eerie blue energy circuits peeled off, exploding into blinding sparks upon impact with the ground. The light paths that had flowed along the walls flickered like neon lights without power before going completely out, leaving only the frantically flashing emergency red lights that stained the shattered space a blood-red hue.

The air was thick with the acrid smell of burning metal and molten metal; a single breath was enough to make one cough. With the main power source cut off, the internal gravitational field was thrown into complete chaos. Tiny metal fragments and dust drifted through the air like suspended pieces of death; larger structures creaked and twisted, some crashing onto the control panel with sparks, others blocking the exits altogether.

"The Ark...it's completely over!" Trunks supported the almost unsteady Lin Ye with one hand, while using the other to fend off falling debris. His voice was filled with barely suppressed despair. He could feel Lin Ye's body trembling, not from fear, but from exhaustion from fighting the mirror image of Lin Ye. He needed support to even stand.

Vegeta knelt on one knee, his chest heaving, each breath painful. He had just managed to throw Lin Ye towards the energy center and then endure a heavy blow from Mirror Lin Ye. His deep blue aura had long since dissipated, and blood was still seeping from his wounds. Blood streamed down his face, obscuring one eye. Even so, his gaze remained fixed on Mirror Lin Ye, his clenched fist still holding the lingering strength of battle, his indomitable fighting spirit undiminished.

"Don't push yourself, Vegeta." Android 18's voice came from the side. Her condition wasn't much better... The wound on her self-destructed left arm was still sparking, and alarms inside her android body were going off incessantly in her head. Even raising her hand was a beat slow. She leaned against the slanted wall, her mechanical eyes quickly scanning her surroundings, her expression grave. "We don't have the strength to fight anymore."

Vegeta didn't turn around, but just grunted in response.

All eyes were fixed on the mirror image of Lin Ye opposite them—this guy who looked exactly like Lin Ye had lost his previous composure. After the energy center was destroyed by the fragment of the Key of Creation, the backlash from the same source was severe. The eerie blue energy around him flickered incessantly like a faulty light bulb. One hand was tightly clutching his chest, and the blood overflowing from the corner of his mouth had an eerie azure glow. His once cold face was now twisted into a grimace, full of ferocity.

"You ants! How dare you destroy my foundation!" Mirror Lin Ye's voice trembled with rage and pain, all traces of its previous slow, deliberate tone gone. He abruptly looked up, his eyes bloodshot, his four eyes (still in their mutated form) fixed on Lin Ye, who was being protected behind Trunks, their gazes seeming to want to devour him alive. "So what if the Ark is gone? I'll drag you all down with me, I won't let you leave here alive!"

As soon as he finished speaking, he suddenly became like a wild beast driven to the brink of despair, violently draining the last bit of void energy from his body. His entire body transformed into an unstable, dark blue meteor, rushing straight towards Lin Ye! The aura of mutual destruction even made the air scorching hot.

"Watch out!" Vegeta roared, struggling to get up and intercept, but it was as if all the strength in his body had been drained. He staggered as soon as he stood up, a beat too slow.

Number 18 reacted the fastest, forcibly activating the thrusters on her back and rushing towards Mirror Lin Ye, trying to block him. But Mirror Lin Ye had gone mad at this moment, casually unleashing a violent energy blast that sent Number 18 flying with a "bang"... She slammed against the tilted wall like a rag doll, letting out a muffled groan, and couldn't get up for a long time.

"Mr. Lin Ye, step back!" Trunks gritted his teeth, shoving Lin Ye behind him, gripping the sword hilt tightly with both hands, the blade gleaming with a faint golden light. He knew he was no match for Mirror Image Lin Ye, but with no one else available, he could only grit his teeth and bear it.

Just as Mirror Lin Ye's fist was about to smash into Trunks—

The fragment of the Key of Creation, which Lin Ye had been clutching in his palm, suddenly burst forth with a gentle yet irresistible light. This light was not dazzling, but it acted like an invisible barrier, instantly blocking Lin Ye and Trunks from view. The thin membrane of light was rippled with water-like patterns.

"boom!"

Mirror Lin Ye's fist slammed solidly into the light membrane, but the expected barrier shattering did not occur—the seemingly fragile light membrane only rippled violently, and then, as if it were sticky, it "stuck" Mirror Lin Ye to it!

"What the hell?!" Mirror Lin Ye's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets in shock. He could feel his power being rapidly absorbed by the light membrane, like water seeping into a sponge. He tried to back away, but the light membrane seemed to be stuck to him, no matter how hard he struggled, it wouldn't break free, and instead, it stuck even tighter.

What terrified him even more was yet to come—behind the light membrane, the space, already unstable due to the collapse of the energy center, was suddenly ripped open with a huge crack by the light of the fragments of the Key of Creation! The edges of the crack flickered with chaotic colored light, and inside was pitch black, a blackness that could devour even light—it was a void turbulence that had even disrupted spacetime; once sucked in, not even bone fragments would remain!

"No! Let me go! You can't do this!" Mirror Lin Ye finally panicked, all his previous ferocity gone, leaving only pure fear. He frantically channeled the energy within his body, and beams of dark blue light slammed into the light membrane. But instead of breaking the membrane, they made the spatial rift even larger, and the suction force from within became stronger, even pulling the surrounding debris into the rift.

Lin Ye looked at the fragment in his palm, feeling it slightly warm, as if responding to his will. He gritted his teeth and gripped the fragment tightly with his last bit of strength... The light membrane seemed to receive a command and suddenly pushed forward!

"No.....!!!"

Lin Ye's screams echoed throughout the control room. He was forcefully pushed to the front of the crack by the light membrane, and the powerful suction instantly pulled him in. The crack closed with a "whoosh" like a hungry beast, leaving no sound or trace, only the last spatial fluctuation slowly dissipating in the air.

The control room suddenly fell silent, with only the emergency red lights flashing and the distant creaking sound of a collapsing structure.

Vegeta stood there, stunned. His clenched fist slowly loosened, his eyes filled with disbelief... The Mirror Image Lin Ye who had just cornered them was gone just like that?

Number 18 struggled to his feet from the wall, his mechanical eyes scanning the area where the crack had appeared repeatedly. Only after confirming there was no energy reaction did he breathe a sigh of relief, his voice still a little weak: "Really... banished?"

Trunks remained in the sword-wielding stance, staring at the empty space ahead. It took him a long time to come to his senses before he murmured, "It's...it's over? We won?"

"Cough cough..." Lin Ye's cough broke the silence. He leaned against Trunks, his face as pale as paper, his lips bloodless, but his eyes were unusually bright. He looked down at the fragments in his palm that were slowly losing their light, and his voice was weak but clear, "It seems... to be over for now."

But as soon as he finished speaking, the entire ark suddenly began to shake violently, more violently than ever before! Debris fell from the ceiling like rain, and the ground began to tilt, making it impossible to even stand.

"Something's wrong!" Number 18's mechanical eye suddenly emitted a rapid alarm. She quickly scanned the remaining screen on the control panel, and her expression instantly changed. "With Mirror Lin Yeyi banished, the Ark has completely lost control! The structural integrity is below 10%, and it is expected to completely disintegrate and then explode within three minutes!"

"Three minutes?!" Vegeta couldn't help but curse. He leaned on the control panel next to him to keep his balance and looked around. "The way we came in is blocked long ago. Where is there any way out of this godforsaken place?"

Everyone's hearts were in their throats again—having just dealt with Mirror Lin Ye, they now faced the crisis of the Ark exploding. Was there really no way to escape?

Lin Ye forced himself to lift his head, closed his eyes, and focused his mind on sensing the faint guidance emanating from the fragment in his palm. The fragment seemed to be pointing him in the right direction; a faint energy flowed up his arm, pointing towards the depths of the control room—where a huge rift had been blasted open due to the explosion of the energy center. It was pitch black, and he couldn't see what was inside, but he could sense a more subtle spatial fluctuation, different from the energy of the void.

“There…” Lin Ye pointed to the breach, his voice trembling slightly as he exerted force, “The fragments are guiding me. There’s a faint spatial signal there… It could be an emergency escape route, or it could be the Ark’s warehouse or experimental area. In short… it’s the only way out.”

These words were like a ray of light, instantly igniting everyone's hope.

Without a word, Vegeta strode over, grabbed Lin Ye's arm, and said in his usual aggressive tone, but with a hint of barely perceptible urgency, "Can you still move? Useless! Even if you can't, you have to hold on!"

Trunks immediately understood, grabbed Lin Ye's other arm, and carefully supported him, his voice steady: "Mr. Lin Ye, hang in there, we'll be out soon."

Number 18 quickly ran to a corner, hoisted the unconscious Night Owl onto her shoulder, and carried him. Night Owl had been hit by debris in the chaos and hadn't woken up; they couldn't abandon him now. She checked Night Owl's breathing, and after confirming he was alright, she said to the others, "Let's go! It'll be too late if we wait any longer!"

Without hesitation, the five people (to be precise, four people plus an unconscious owl) charged toward the dark breach, braving the falling debris and the sloping ground.

Behind them, the Ark was disintegrating faster and faster, the walls were collapsing and the flames were spreading, and the aura of destruction was closing in. Ahead, the breach was pitch black, and they didn't know what awaited them, whether it was a real escape route or another trap.

While supporting Lin Ye, Trunks used his sword to clear away the debris blocking their path and asked loudly, "Mr. Lin Ye, can the fragments still sense direction? Is there any danger inside?"

Lin Ye leaned against the two of them, barely opened his eyes, looked at the darkness in front of him, and nodded: "I can... I can feel that the fragments are still guiding us. The spatial fluctuations inside are very stable. It should... it should be safe."

Vegeta gritted his teeth and quickened his pace, while warily scanning his surroundings: "Don't let your guard down! Even the escape routes could have traps! Android 18, watch out behind you, don't let the debris hit us!"

"Understood!" Number 18 carried Night Owl, using his remaining right arm to deflect falling debris as he walked. Although his movements were somewhat labored, his eyes remained resolute. "You guys focus on supporting Lin Ye, I'll take care of the rest!"

The ground was tilting more and more sharply, and they were practically running forward. The light from the emergency red lights flickered in the darkness, casting long shadows on everyone, making them look particularly disheveled, yet revealing an indomitable tenacity.

Suddenly, a huge metal plate fell from the ceiling and smashed right into Trunks' back!

"Watch out!" Android 18 reacted swiftly, immediately activating her thrusters to shove Trunks aside and simultaneously shielding Trunks with her own body from the metal plate. With a muffled thud, Android 18 groaned, a trickle of blood escaping her lips, but she still held on tightly to the metal plate, yelling at Trunks, "Don't stand there! Get out of here!"

Trunks' eyes welled up with tears, but he didn't say much. He helped Lin Ye continue charging forward. Vegeta glanced back at Android 18 with a complicated look in his eyes, then sped up, using his body to smash through the debris blocking their path and clear a way for them.

As they drew closer to the breach, the spatial fluctuations within became increasingly clear. Lin Ye could feel the guidance emanating from the fragments growing stronger, as if telling him that as long as he went inside, he would be temporarily safe.

"Hurry! One minute left!" Number 18, carrying Night Owl, followed behind, her voice already a little hoarse... Her android body had been injured again while carrying the metal plate, and the internal alarms were sounding even louder.