Chapter 51: Defeating Rigor, A Justified Loss
"How can he possibly be this powerful?!" Vegeta muttered angrily, his arms crossed before him as he squinted at the battle unfolding between Lin Qi and Rigor.
In midair, the two figures flickered incessantly, their punches and kicks moving so fast that only afterimages were left. The three observers—Goku, Vegeta, and Piccolo—couldn't follow their movements at all.
The fierce combat left Goku, Vegeta, and Piccolo utterly shocked.
The deafening sounds of fists clashing, the explosive energy blasts, and the occasional streaks of light streaking across the sky painted a vivid picture of the intensity.
Who would win? None of them could tell. The only thing they could sense was an overwhelming force emanating from both fighters.
"Heh... Keep showing off if you can!" Lin Qi sneered, landing a solid punch on Rigor's cheek.
Without realizing it, Lin Qi had begun gradually releasing more of his power. The punch was not only incredibly fast but devastatingly strong.
"Argh!" Rigor grunted in pain as he was sent flying like a bullet fired from a chamber.
"Whoosh!"
Rigor's figure nearly disappeared from sight. Lin Qi grew more exhilarated as the fight continued—he hadn't felt this rush in ages.
In an instant, Lin Qi appeared behind the airborne Rigor, who was about to hit the ground. Another punch was already poised to strike.
Rigor reacted quickly, managing to conjure an energy ball in his palm and hurl it toward Lin Qi.
Lin Qi effortlessly swatted the energy ball away. The resulting surge of energy rippled outward, even affecting the ground below.
The fierce northern winds carrying snowflakes were blown away, and the energy ball exploded upon contact with the icy terrain, leaving scorched earth behind.
Lin Qi and Rigor temporarily distanced themselves, facing off midair.
"Haha..." Lin Qi chuckled lightly, a smile of satisfaction spreading across his face. After this battle, he planned to eat and then take the time machine to find Zaikon, the hybrid Saiyan, in the future.
With this thought, Lin Qi increased both his speed and strength further, unleashing the full power of his Super Saiyan 5 form.
The earth trembled more violently. Unconsciously, even the snowfall ceased, leaving behind only a scarred landscape and a blanket of white snow.
"It seems you're at your limit!" Lin Qi's speed increased once more.
Rigor barely had time to react before Lin Qi landed a heavy punch on his abdomen, forcing him to double over with a painful scream.
"Urgh!"
Lin Qi's fists were as solid as steel, rendering Rigor unable to defend himself. Before he could even block, Lin Qi's relentless punches rained down on him.
"Heh... So this is your so-called Super Saiyan 5? It's nothing special!" Lin Qi smirked, his face alight with a frenzied battle spirit.
"You're still too weak!"
Though Lin Qi's power was constantly building, aiming to cause a spatial distortion, the battle wasn't quite intense enough to achieve that yet. He needed Rigor to hold out just a little longer...
Rigor struggled to block Lin Qi's punches with trembling arms, clenching his teeth in rage.
"Argh... I will win! I must win!" Rigor roared furiously, summoning all his strength to push Lin Qi's fists away.
Clasping his right wrist with his left hand, Rigor fired a massive energy ball. "Die!"
The energy ball radiated an immense ripple effect, shaking the heavens and earth as it spread outward, stirring the winds and clouds.
A ferocious hurricane swept through, and the entire planet trembled violently as if the Earth itself was wailing.
"Let's see if this energy is worth anything," Lin Qi muttered, clasping his hands together as he countered the energy ball with his own energy wave.
A powerful surge of energy erupted from Lin Qi's hands like a roaring dragon, its shockwaves spreading far and wide.
The surrounding ice and snow melted visibly, rocks were shattered, and the ground cracked open.
The energy wave from Lin Qi's palms collided with Rigor's energy ball, distorting the surrounding space upon impact.
"What?!" Rigor watched in shock as his energy ball was slowly pushed back toward him. He gritted his teeth and pushed harder.
Piccolo's forehead was drenched in sweat. He shouted toward the battlefield, "Enough! Stop releasing energy! You'll destroy the Earth!"
"Rigor, stop! If the planet is destroyed, we'll all die!" Separi shouted desperately.
"I said I would win... and I will win!" Rigor bellowed, even as his energy ball was rapidly forced back toward him.
"Don't you feel anything unusual in your body?" Lin Qi asked, disappointment evident in his tone as the spatial distortions returned to normal.
"What..."
Before Rigor could process Lin Qi's words, his muscles suddenly shrank drastically.
"Urgh..."
A sharp, unbearable pain followed, rendering Rigor powerless. His energy ball was pushed back completely, and Lin Qi's energy wave engulfed him entirely.
A dazzling white light exploded, obliterating the landscape and leaving a massive basin where snow once blanketed the earth.
Sand and dust filled the air, forming a swirling cloud.
"Hey, Lin Qi! Don't overdo it! You're going to damage the Earth!" Piccolo shouted in anguish as he looked toward the crater.
"Sorry, I got a little carried away!" Lin Qi replied shamelessly, landing on the ground in his normal form.
At the bottom of the crater lay Rigor, gravely injured and barely alive.
"Kill him!" Vegeta leaped into the pit, a blade of energy forming in his hand as he prepared to finish off Rigor.
"Stop!" Separi descended swiftly, shielding Rigor from Vegeta's attack.
"You... You damn woman!" Vegeta growled, nearly stabbing Separi's abdomen. "Move aside!"
"I won't!" Separi bit her lip, resolutely standing her ground.
"Hmph..." A weak grunt came from behind Separi as a bloodied hand rested on her shoulder. "Step aside. I haven't lost yet..."
Rigor, covered in blood and barely able to breathe, struggled to remain standing, his body swaying precariously.
"What..." Vegeta was stunned. Despite suffering such injuries, Rigor managed to stand.
Before Vegeta could recover from his shock, Rigor collapsed once more, this time completely unconscious.
"Tsk tsk... You didn't lose unjustly!"
Lin Qi placed his hands on his hips and strolled over to Vegeta. "Look at him! His bones are shattered, and yet he still stood up!"
"Hmph!" Vegeta snorted arrogantly but didn't refute Lin Qi's words. He knew he wouldn't have been able to stand after enduring such pain.
"Haha... Vegeta, now I'm sure this guy is your brother!" Lin Qi joked, clearly in high spirits.