Chapter 29: The Warrior of Legends
Karnel said nothing more. In an instant, his body erupted with golden energy as he transformed into the legendary Super Saiyan form. His black hair shifted to brilliant blonde, his eyes became a piercing emerald green, and a fierce golden aura danced around his entire body like living flame. The very air seemed to grow heavy with his cold, ruthless power.
"No... this is the Super Saiyan our ancestors always warned us to be vigilant against?" Cooler, who had been watching from the sidelines, was no longer composed. Shock replaced his usual arrogance as he stared at the transformed warrior.
"You... with that appearance and this overwhelming presence... you're truly a Super Saiyan?" King Cold shouted, his earlier confidence cracking as Karnel's golden hair whipped in the energy currents and that suffocating aura made it difficult to breathe.
"That's right," Karnel replied, his green eyes flashing with cold menace. "This is the same Super Saiyan transformation that killed your ancestors and made your entire bloodline cower in fear for generations."
"Abominable!" King Cold snarled, forcing himself to regain composure. "Even if you are a Super Saiyan, I am King Cold! I will not fear you, I'll tear you apart myself!"
Karnel let out a soft, mocking laugh, completely unfazed by King Cold's renewed assault. Now transformed, the Frost Demon's combat power of 120 million was laughably inadequate. Karnel's strength exceeded his opponent's by several times over. He could stand perfectly still and let King Cold attack for hours without sustaining meaningful damage.
Of course, even with crushing superiority, he wouldn't simply stand there as a target. That wasn't confidence, that was stupidity.
King Cold launched himself forward with desperate fury, but every strike was effortlessly deflected or countered. Karnel grabbed the Frost Demon's leg mid-kick and hurled him toward the frozen ground with bone-crushing force. Without missing a beat, he formed a five-meter-wide energy sphere and sent it hurtling after his falling opponent.
The energy blast struck King Cold directly, creating a violent explosion that formed a semicircular crater hundreds of meters across. When the smoke cleared, King Cold lay at the bottom of a deep pit, soaked by the high-temperature melting of the surrounding ice.
"Damn you..." King Cold struggled to his feet, trembling with rage and pain as he glared up at Karnel.
Consumed by murderous intent, he launched himself at the Super Saiyan again. His attacks came in wild, desperate combinations, each punch and kick carrying his burning desire to kill this accursed Saiyan.
Karnel handled King Cold's frenzied assault with casual ease, but his attention was divided. From the corner of his eye, he could sense Cooler's energy steadily rising on the ice field's edge. The elder son was clearly preparing to enter the battle.
King Cold's frustration reached a breaking point as every attack was effortlessly blocked, and Karnel's casual counterstrikes left him increasingly battered. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth as internal injuries mounted.
Seizing an opening, Karnel grabbed one of the horns protruding from King Cold's head. With a cold smile, he snapped the sharp protrusion clean off.
"A little souvenir," Karnel said mockingly, then kicked King Cold several hundred meters across the ice. He teleported to the Frost Demon's side and delivered a devastating punch to his back, causing King Cold to cough up a mouthful of blood.
Karnel discreetly collected some of the spilled blood in a small vial from his dimensional storage, it might prove useful later.
King Cold crashed heavily through the ice surface, penetrating hundreds of meters into the planet's crust.
"How disappointingly weak," Karnel shook his head, turning his attention toward Cooler.
Suddenly, an intense energy signature erupted from underground.
"DIE, SAIYAN!" King Cold burst from the crater and flew high into the air, a crimson energy sphere quietly forming on his fingertip as he ascended.
Supernova!
The signature technique of the Cold family, the same attack Frieza had used to obliterate Planet Vegeta and turn it to cosmic dust.
King Cold's face was half-stained with blood, his expression twisted with maniacal fury as he hurled the death bomb toward Karnel.
"Impressive technique," Karnel analyzed calmly, watching the massive energy sphere descend. "High energy concentration too. Taking this head-on wouldn't cause any real damage, at most I'd get a bit dusty. But where's the fun in that?"
The supernova plummeted directly toward him. King Cold laughed wildly, convinced that no being could survive such concentrated destructive force. Even if it meant sacrificing this frozen world, killing this Super Saiyan would be worth it.
As the crimson sphere approached, Karnel casually lifted his foot and kicked at the energy ball without any apparent effort. The death bomb stopped its descent instantly, held in place by his single boot.
With a slight increase in force, Karnel kicked upward, sending the death bomb—carrying all of King Cold's desperate hopes, rocketing back toward the sky. The sphere accelerated rapidly, bursting through the atmosphere and traveling tens of thousands of miles into space before finally exploding in a gorgeous display of light, like a miniature supernova firework.
"What... how did you... IMPOSSIBLE!" King Cold's eyes bulged in disbelief, unable to comprehend what he'd witnessed.
"Nothing's impossible," Karnel replied, his emerald pupils gleaming with lethal intent. "The gap between us is simply too vast. I could end your life with a single kick."
"You... is this truly the power of a Super Saiyan?" King Cold asked, his voice hollow with defeat. He had exhausted every technique, every ounce of strength, yet couldn't even scratch this transformed warrior.
"Enough, Father." Cooler stepped forward, pulling King Cold back from another futile charge. His expression was grave as he addressed his parent. "This warrior's combat ability far exceeds yours. You're completely outmatched. Let me handle this."
"Cooler, you must kill this dirty monkey...," King Cold said viciously to his elder son, then retreated to recover his strength, hoping to find an opportunity for a sneak attack during the coming battle.
Now he understood why their ancestors had feared the Super Saiyans so completely. This monster had to be eliminated! Once Cooler finished this abomination, he would immediately order Frieza to hunt down every surviving Saiyan who had escaped Vegeta's destruction. Every last one would be found and exterminated. Only the Cold family could rule the universe!
"Oh? So the old one's been beaten, and now it's time for the young one?" Karnel grinned with anticipation.