Chapter 18: The Battle Escalates

Boom! Boom!

The battle between Taurus and Burter grew fiercer by the second. Their movements became so fast that only their afterimages remained, while the shockwaves from their clashes reduced mountains to rubble, sending debris flying in all directions.

Boom!

Their fists collided once more, sending a shockwave rippling through the battlefield. Burter smirked as he looked at Taurus. "A minotaur with this kind of strength? I'll admit, I didn't expect it. Say, how about joining Lord Frieza's forces? With your power, I'm sure His Majesty would be quite pleased."

Taurus snorted. "Trying to recruit me? Go to hell!" With a furious roar, he opened his mouth and fired a powerful energy beam at Burter.

Caught off guard and underestimating his opponent, Burter only managed to dodge slightly, avoiding a fatal blow. However, the beam still struck his left shoulder, completely shattering his armor and leaving behind a scorched wound.

"Bastard! I'll kill you for that!" Burter roared in rage. His power surged as he stopped holding back, finally unleashing his true strength.

In an instant, he vanished and reappeared in front of Taurus, slamming a devastating punch into his right cheek. Taurus was sent flying across the battlefield. Before he could recover, Burter struck again, driving his fist into Taurus's stomach and sending him crashing into the ground, forming a massive crater.

Taurus possessed immense strength, but his speed was his biggest weakness. His combat power was simply not on the same level as Burter's. Floating above, Burter raised a hand and gathered energy for a ki blast, aiming directly at the crater below.

If it hit, Taurus wouldn't just be defeated—he'd be crippled, if not outright killed.

---

"Shit! Boss is in trouble! Everyone, attack!" the strategist shouted.

Without hesitation, the other minotaurs launched a barrage of energy blasts toward Burter's incoming attack.

However, their power levels were far too weak to interfere. The ki blast continued its descent, destined to hit Taurus.

At the last moment, Oxley let out a furious roar and fired his own energy beam at Burter, forcing the warrior to dodge. The distraction caused Burter's attack to veer off course, landing a few meters away from Taurus.

Boom!

The explosion created a crater hundreds of meters wide, and though Taurus barely avoided a direct hit, he was still caught in the shockwave. His body was battered, blood seeping from fresh wounds.

"Moo—ROOOOAR!!"

Taurus's voice thundered across the battlefield. His injuries did not weaken him—instead, they triggered something deep within. A primal, bloodthirsty aura erupted from his body. His power didn't decrease… it only increased!

His eyes glowed an intense crimson, filled with nothing but rage and an uncontrollable desire for battle.

"This… this is…" The village chieftain gasped. His hands trembled as he looked at Taurus with shock and awe. "He… he's awakened the Berserker Transformation…! This is the legendary ability of our race!"

Even Bella, who looked down on Taurus, was left speechless.

Among the minotaurs, those who could enter Berserker Mode were considered heroes of legend.

---

"Whoa! Boss is actually a legendary Berserker?! That's insane!"

"This is incredible!"

"Boss, beat the shit out of him!"

The minotaurs erupted in excitement.

Burter, on the other hand, stared at his scouter in disbelief. "Battle power… 76,000?! Impossible! My scouter must be malfunctioning!"

Taurus didn't care about Burter's shock. With a deafening roar, he launched himself like a missile, his fist slamming directly into Burter's gut.

Boom!

Burter was sent flying like a cannonball, crashing into the ground with a thunderous impact.

"Burter!" Jeice and the others shouted in alarm.

Captain Ginyu flashed forward, catching Burter mid-air before landing.

"Captain…" Burter coughed, clutching his stomach. "I… I'm sorry. I let you down…"

"Enough. It's clear now why Lord Frieza sent us here." Ginyu placed Burter down gently before stepping forward, his gaze locking onto Taurus. "This guy is beyond your level. Leave him to me."

Facing Taurus, Ginyu smirked. "Your power isn't bad. How about joining the Ginyu Force? I can make you second in command."

Taurus, however, was too far gone in his battle-hungry frenzy to care. He only responded with a punch so powerful that it obliterated an entire mountain behind Ginyu.

Ginyu dodged with ease and shook his head. "A shame. That would've been a great opportunity for you."

With that, he let out a roar, his power exploding outward. The sheer force of his energy created a massive shockwave, carving a deep trench into the ground.

The Ginyu Force grinned.

"This is the power of our captain! With a combat level of 120,000, there's no way that bull can win!"

"Alright, let's get started!" Ginyu's figure blurred as he instantly appeared behind Taurus. Before Taurus could react, he was kicked skyward like a ragdoll.

---

Taurus roared in frustration, crawling out from the rubble once more. He charged back at Ginyu, but the power gap was simply too great.

Ginyu easily overpowered him at every turn, dodging, countering, and pummeling him mercilessly.

"This isn't good! Boss is getting wrecked!" the strategist cried out. Desperate, the minotaurs charged forward to help.

"You won't be interfering!" Guldo stepped forward, using his Time Freeze ability to paralyze them. With a wave of his hands, he slammed them all into the dirt.

The minotaurs were instantly defeated.

Oxley clenched his fists and turned to the chieftain, his voice tense. "Chief… these guys are too strong. Even a legendary Berserker isn't enough. We… we should surrender."

The chieftain looked at Taurus, who was barely clinging to consciousness. With a heavy sigh, he stepped forward. "Enough. We surrender."

The Ginyu Force smirked.

"Smart move, old man. You're lucky to know your place." Ginyu casually tossed Taurus aside like garbage.

The minotaurs rushed to Taurus's side as the chieftain helped him up. "Taurus, it's over. We have to accept this."

"Surrender…?" Taurus growled, shaking with rage. "I have never surrendered in my life!"

With a roar, he lunged at Ginyu once more.

Ginyu sighed. "Stubborn fool." He kicked Taurus so hard that he drilled into the ground, forming a deep crater.

"Fine. If you're so eager to die, I'll grant your wish!" Ginyu formed a massive ki blast and hurled it straight at Taurus.

The minotaurs screamed in horror. Taurus's men were too injured to save him, and Oxley turned away, unable to watch.

---

Just as the blast was about to hit, a figure appeared in front of Taurus.

With a casual flick of his wrist, the energy blast was deflected into the distance, exploding miles away. The shockwave shook the land.

Ginyu's eyes widened. "Who… are you?"

He scanned the newcomer with his scouter.

"Power level… 8,000?"

Ginyu frowned. "How the hell did someone so weak block my attack?"

Goku chuckled, his tone light. "Oh, I'm just passing through. But I like this guy, so how about doing me a favor and sparing him?"

After observing the fight for so long, he had finally decided to step in.

Ginyu raised an eyebrow. "A favor? We don't even know each other. Why should I care about your request?"

Goku sighed theatrically. "Well, that's a shame."

The next moment, his figure vanished.

Before Ginyu could react, Goku reappeared in front of him and slammed a devastating punch into his stomach.

"Ugh—!"

Ginyu's eyes widened in agony as he clutched his abdomen, dropping to his knees. His face twisted in disbelief. "No… no way… Your power level was only 8,000! How the hell are you this strong?! Wait… don't tell me… you can control your battle power freely?!"

The other Ginyu Force members stared in shock.

"Did… did he just one-shot the captain?!"

"Impossible! There's no way anyone besides Lord Frieza should be this powerful!"

Fear flickered in their eyes.

Goku smirked. "Control over battle power isn't your exclusive trick, you know. And honestly, weaklings like you guys don't interest me. Go get Frieza—I'd much rather fight him."

Ginyu's face darkened. "Hah! You're way too arrogant. I'll admit, you're strong… but you'll never defeat Lord Frieza! He's the most powerful being in the universe! Only those who've fought him firsthand understand his true might!"

Goku ignored him entirely and turned toward Taurus. "Hey, big guy, you alright?"

Taurus struggled to his feet, his body battered and bruised. When he looked at Goku, his eyes were filled with awe and admiration.

Without warning, he lunged forward and clung onto Goku's leg. "Boss! Please take me in as your underling! Fighting, brawling, picking up chicks—I'm good at all of it!"

Then, to Goku's horror, Taurus wiped his snot-covered face against his pants.

"The hell, man?! Get off me!" Goku kicked him aside. "You idiot! Don't dirty my clothes!"

Taurus picked himself up, looking surprisingly serious for once. "Boss! I truly respect you, and I'm beyond grateful that you saved me… but please, don't call me an idiot. I may not be the smartest, but I'm not an idiot!"

Just as Goku was about to respond, Ginyu's laughter echoed from above.

"Hahaha! You let your guard down, fool!"

At some point, Ginyu had flown into the air, hovering a short distance away. His aura surged wildly, shaking the very ground beneath them.

The sky darkened as storm clouds churned.

"Change, now!"

Ginyu stretched his arms outward and let out a deafening roar. A strange, ghostly projection emerged from his body, heading straight for Goku.

Goku's eyes narrowed as he felt a sudden force restrain his movements. His soul itself seemed to be getting pulled out of his body!

Jeice's eyes gleamed with excitement. "Yes! Captain's using that technique! If he swaps bodies with this guy, we win!"

Goku smirked. "So… this is a body-swapping ability?"

His ki flared violently, shaking the battlefield. The earth trembled and cracked, mountains crumbling under the sheer force of his unleashed energy.

"You think a cheap trick like this will work on me?" Goku let out a cold snort and roared, his power surging explosively.

The sheer force of his aura alone disrupted Ginyu's technique, causing the ghostly projection to waver.

Ginyu's eyes widened. "What?! No way—!"