Doren looked bitter and resentful, but Raditz didn't take him seriously at all—he'd assessed the apprentice Supreme Kai with barely a glance. This person was only at the level of a Super Saiyan. Rukon could defeat him easily.
Perhaps in Universe Six, this level was already quite remarkable. After all, before the Saiyans on Planet Sadala learned Super Saiyan transformation, the power of Super Saiyan 1 could surpass most life forms.
But Raditz, Zangya, and Android 18 all dismissed him as a non-threat. Not to mention masters like Whis and Vados—in their eyes, this kind of fight was probably equivalent to children squabbling in a schoolyard.
"Then everyone, please take your seats." Vados, as host, greeted everyone warmly. She waved her staff and summoned a massive circular platform suspended in the air, large enough to accommodate everyone comfortably.
Several luxurious red leather sofas surrounded a long table laden with various fruits. Champa immediately claimed the central position, occupying an entire sofa by himself, and began eating without ceremony.
No one else dared sit alongside the God of Destruction, settling into other seats instead. Only Vados and Whis remained standing at the sides.
However, Raditz also took a seat on one of the sofas, leaving Doren alone on the ground below. The atmosphere grew extremely awkward. Doren's enthusiasm was thoroughly deflated by Raditz's unconventional approach, and he glared resentfully up at the elevated platform.
"Hey, Raditz! You just agreed to fight—why aren't you down there?" Champa spoke while chewing fruit.
"I'm a Supreme Kai, after all. Wouldn't it be excessive bullying for me to personally face an apprentice Supreme Kai?"
Bullying? Doren's teeth ground together at hearing this, his expression turning even uglier. Wasn't this obviously looking down on him? But Raditz's meaning was crystal clear—he absolutely was looking down on him.
"Hehe, so who will you send? Broly, Zangya, or Android 18? Any of them would be a bit overwhelming for him, wouldn't they?" Whis smiled as he regarded Raditz's companions. None of them seemed like easy opponents.
"No, no, no—Broly would definitely kill him. And Android 18..." Raditz shook his head repeatedly, catching 18's cold glare.
Hearing these words, Vados and Champa showed no surprise, but Fuwa and his attendants suddenly stared in shock, their faces turning pale. Doren below trembled with rage, his teeth nearly cracking from the pressure.
What Raditz said next made him nearly spit blood. "My son can defeat him. Let Rukon fight."
"What?!" Everyone was stunned. Even Champa stopped chewing.
"You really want Rukon to go?" Zangya asked in surprise.
"Don't worry. I already discovered his tremendous potential when playing with him. Besides, Rukon can already transform into a Super Saiyan. No problem at all."
Doren couldn't contain himself any longer and shouted, "Don't underestimate me!"
"Raditz, Doren's strength shouldn't be underestimated. You should reconsider..." The gracious Fuwa worried that Raditz was being overconfident.
But Raditz waved dismissively and winked at Rukon.
The boy, who'd been waiting impatiently, beamed with delight. "Great! I haven't fought anyone else yet!" The excited child leaped from the platform, drawing Broly's gaze as well.
All eyes focused on that child. Except for Whis and Vados, everyone harbored doubts. Could this child truly defeat apprentice Supreme Kai Doren?
Doren paid no attention to Rukon initially, channeling his frustration into fighting spirit.
"Don't think sending out a child will make me hold back. Child, I won't hurt you badly, but I will definitely defeat you." Doren's eyes changed, gleaming sharp as knife blades. In an instant, the temperature dropped as killing intent swept across the space.
As an apprentice Supreme Kai, he had some capability after all, displaying considerable strength when serious.
Rukon's hair fluttered in the pressure wave, wind striking his face, but he showed no panic whatsoever. "So you're this strong? Then I'll use my full strength from the beginning!" With that declaration, Rukon erupted in golden light, his overwhelming aura immediately surpassing Doren's display.
"What?!" Feeling the completely different magnitude of power, Doren's heart trembled.
In an instant, Rukon's figure vanished. His movement speed exceeded the limits of Doren's visual tracking. Unable to sense his ki signature, Doren could only feel approaching wind pressure—coming at dozens of times the speed he'd just demonstrated!
The tremendous pressure corresponded to Rukon's small but devastatingly powerful fist!
BOOM! Rukon's figure flashed past, sliding across the ground for some distance, having grazed Doren's body before barely stopping. Doren's face took the full force of Rukon's heavy punch, his entire body launched by the tremendous force. He flew past the still-sliding Rukon at even greater velocity, traveling an unknown distance before crashing into the ground. Spider-web cracks spread across the solid, polished floor from the impact site.
The brief exchange stunned everyone on the observation platform. This kid had actually landed a devastating punch on Doren!
Only Whis and Vados exchanged knowing smiles. "Sister, Raditz's son is quite something, isn't he?"
"Haha, Universe Seven is truly blessed with talent."
"As an aside, Lord Beerus once considered Raditz as a candidate for God of Destruction." Whis covered his mouth conspiratorially. "But after much deliberation, we concluded Raditz was better suited as Supreme Kai."
"A God of Destruction candidate..." Vados couldn't help but glance toward the child in battle, smiling with interest.
The battle wasn't over yet. Though Doren had lost the opening exchange, he quickly recovered his composure. His contempt for Rukon vanished completely, replaced by unprecedented seriousness.
He attempted to seize the initiative, mobilizing every sense to detect Rukon's movements. In a flash, the two collided again.
Brilliant light burst from the clash between golden ki flames and sacred divine glow. After brief contact, both retreated. Several seconds later, a thunderous explosion erupted at their point of collision.
Suddenly, Doren smiled. He was managing to keep up with Rukon's attack speed!
In the stands, Raditz also smiled. Rukon was in an extremely relaxed state, while Doren was exerting maximum effort just to match the boy's pace. Their strength appeared roughly equal for now, but if the fight continued, the outcome couldn't be more obvious.
What's more, the "full strength" Rukon had mentioned was only his normal state. If he got angry... the moment his hair color changed would be the moment Doren experienced true Super Saiyan terror. Raditz genuinely hoped Doren wouldn't push Rukon to that point—he was honestly worried for the apprentice's safety if that happened.
Bang bang bang... BOOM!
The continuous exchanges were dazzling to observe. Though Rukon's arms were shorter, he held no disadvantage in close combat. His techniques flowed smoothly and powerfully! The battle appeared evenly matched so far, but perceptive observers noticed that Doren's position was gradually retreating while Rukon grew more vigorous with each exchange.
Under the training of Raditz and Zangya, having grown up sparring with Broly, Rukon was already stronger than many could imagine.
Doren's defeat was only a matter of time.
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