Chapter 43: Restoring Freedom
Raditz was taken aback by the girl's shy expression. "You're welcome. My name is Raditz."
"I... I don't remember my name." The girl blinked her watery eyes and frowned, as if trying to recall something, a pained expression crossing her face.
Raditz figured something must have happened during her mechanical experimentation that caused memory loss. However, that didn't matter right now—their priority was escaping this predicament.
He heard the rumbling sound of machinery starting up and grabbed the girl's hand again. "Follow me!"
"Okay!"
In the girl's eyes, Raditz was the only fighter capable of standing against these horrible machines. Though following him was risky, it offered a chance of survival.
Raditz's powerful back reflected in her bright eyes, and the feeling of his warm palm against hers was comforting.
The passage ahead was wide and winding. On both sides of the silvery walls were broken lights resembling stars. Violent vibrations came from the floor as the mechanical pursuers drew closer.
The Tumatians had been right to be afraid. The number of these monster-like mechanical soldiers was outrageous. Though individually small compared to the larger mechs, together they were overwhelming. Their strides were enormous, their advancing speed rapid. The loud noise echoed through the corridor, and the pair could hear the mechanical commotion growing louder—not only from behind, but also from ahead!
An interception force was approaching from the front.
They had formed a siege. In a passage with only two exits, it was convenient to encircle Raditz, especially with so many soldiers at their disposal.
The girl was so frightened that her face rapidly drained of color, her lips turning pale. She pressed against Raditz's arm, her intense heartbeat—thump, thump, thump—clearly felt against him.
"Don't be afraid," Raditz said with a smile. Though he couldn't afford to be careless, he adopted a confident posture to comfort her.
The black metal warriors had the same basic shape as humans, completely different from the previous bulky mechanical weapons. It was clear that Boundless was constantly trying new methods to deal with Raditz!
These new fighters no longer used ranged weapons, but instead wielded vicious melee weapons. Silver-white blades protruded from their black bodies, reflecting the surrounding lights like diamond stars flowing from the edges, radiating deadly intent that could seemingly cut through anything.
Battle was imminent.
Suddenly, several bright flashes streaked through the air. Silver arcs filled the corridor as knife-edges sliced from all directions, their chilling presence spreading as sparks flew!
Raditz covered the girl with one arm while forming his other hand into a blade, with two fingers extended. He stabbed sharply, using his hand as a weapon and his ki as a sword, swinging at the black metal warriors.
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
Several warriors engaged Raditz simultaneously. His ki-enhanced strikes pierced through their thick armor, cutting open their defenses and tearing them apart. The terrifying energy blasted through the centers of the black metal warriors, causing them to crumble into shapeless heaps.
The mutilated bodies of five warriors fell to the ground, metal fragments turning to burnt dust as they ignited in the air!
Raditz's ki flowed to his fingertips, his movements creating an impenetrable iron wall!
The black metal warriors rushed forward relentlessly, attacking without regard for self-preservation. The girl was terrified but managed to avoid several giant blades by moving with Raditz, following his rhythm as if dancing a waltz on the edge of life and death.
This rhythm was strange—like a perfect combo in some ancient fighting game, dispatching every opponent that approached.
Under Raditz's hands, the warriors were divided into pieces as easily as chopping vegetables. Parts, lubricating oil, and electric sparks exploded everywhere, turning the entire passage into a scene of carnage. But countless more fighters approached in endless waves—this was their true horror, using sheer numbers to overwhelm their opponents.
Moreover, through constant combat, the black metal fighters gradually became familiar with Raditz's attack patterns. They grew more flexible, their methods more varied. Some even released cables to entangle Raditz while their companions launched coordinated attacks.
With his Kaio-ken active, Raditz wasn't concerned for himself. But the girl beside him could no longer endure the stress—they couldn't remain trapped like this. There was only one way out!
"Get ready," Raditz warned as he broke a mechanical chain on the wall and moved behind the girl.
"Ready for what?"
"Mentally and physically."
The girl was startled as she suddenly felt hands grip her thighs, launching her whole body upward into the air! Raditz had thrown her!
Below, Raditz turned and rushed forward, firing two energy waves from his hands. The brilliant light enveloped most of the warriors on one side of the passage. Multiple explosions were triggered by the intense heat, causing the passage to collapse step by step. Even the solid iron walls were riddled with deep craters.
A portion of the black metal warriors was reduced to ash, but their massive reserve army quickly developed transparent energy-absorbing shields. As Raditz had expected, they could evolve automatically and at an extremely fast rate.
Seeing the girl beginning to fall, Raditz reached up to catch her, cradling her as he flew backward. He fired another energy wave at the junction where two groups of warriors met, confusing their targeting systems. Their evolution might be fast, but with his Kaio-ken active, Raditz was faster! Taking advantage of the gap in the black metal warriors' evolution, he broke through their lines and raced toward the experimental subject chamber.
Raditz realized the black metal warriors must be a special countermeasure trap in the chamber—triggered whenever a subject resisted or attempted escape.
To prevent Raditz from being trapped by automatically closing doors, the black metal warriors must have reopened the gate to pursue him after his initial escape.
Sure enough, the huge chamber was now filled with black metal warriors rushing toward the door.
Their large numbers caused congestion at the entrance. Raditz used this to his advantage, easily slipping through and reuniting with Goku, who had been fighting inside for some time, decimating the black metal warriors.
In the past, escape attempts had been rare, and there had never been opponents as powerful as Raditz and Goku. Although the black metal fighters were numerous, their combat capabilities were clearly insufficient against such powerful adversaries.
Energy blasts roared in all directions while flaming blades fell from the ceiling, leaving the experimental subjects dumbfounded.
With their Kaio-ken activated, the two Saiyans frantically eliminated the enemy forces, dismantling the weapon systems arranged around the room. In the chaos of various weapons firing indiscriminately, many prisoners' cages were damaged, allowing them to escape.
Raditz and Goku breathed sighs of relief as the last black metal fighter fell.
"Everyone, you are free now."
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