Chapter 82: A Grim Battle

"Heh, the little brat is pretty tough, huh? Managed to run for so long!" The pale yellow alien grinned viciously, licking his lips and revealing sharp fangs.

"Waaah, don't eat me..."

Merus was cornered against a wall, desperately pressing herself against it, but now there was no escape. The little girl was panicking, her eyes tightly shut. Then, a "splat" sound of blood spattering filled the air, accompanied by a painful scream. Surprised, Merus opened her eyes only to find a tall figure standing in front of her.

"Ah, it's you!" Recognizing the person, Merus cried out in astonishment. She hadn't expected her savior to be Master Adriel's nephew!

Having faced the greatest fear of her life, a flood of emotions overwhelmed her. Suddenly seeing someone familiar, she couldn't help but throw herself into his arms and burst into tears.

Merus, a child with exceptional potential, was on Xavier's list of people to evacuate. She could not be allowed to die on Planet Vegeta before its destruction.

"There, there, Merus, stick close to me now. Every place on Planet Vegeta is extremely dangerous right now," Xavier comforted her, gently patting her head. He had always had a soft spot for children.

"These past few months, I've been looking for Master Adriel, but he was never home. And today... suddenly everything changed. So many people want to kill me..."

Merus calmed down from her frantic state, her eyes red as she looked up at Xavier. Although she had always disdainfully seen Xavier as merely a mid-level warrior, being by his side now was the only source of safety she felt.

"Uncle Adriel and the others are elsewhere!" Xavier looked around the shattered city and sighed. "Frieza's goal is to kill all Saiyans. We can no longer stay on Planet Vegeta."

Following this, Xavier led Merus through the streets. The girl became unusually quiet, timidly following him. Xavier glanced at her and thought to himself that the little one was truly terrified.

In the city, where gunfire filled the sky, the figures of Xavier and Merus—tall and small—stood out distinctly. To the aliens, they seemed like prey, and they attacked one after another in a frenzied rush.

But whenever this happened, Xavier would simply throw his fists without a word. His seemingly effortless strikes always resulted in the death of his foes. Soon, the number of aliens who died by Xavier's hand surpassed ten thousand.

Considering these aliens each had over two thousand in combat strength, it was incredible that they were no match for Xavier. Merus watched in disbelief, her mouth agape.

As the number of aliens killed by Xavier continued to increase, Merus gradually became numb to the violence.

It was in this moment that she realized just how much more powerful Xavier was than she had ever imagined. Watching him handle the situation with such ease and flair, Merus's eyes brightened with admiration, and a hint of worship started to form in her gaze.

"Hey, just how powerful are you? Why can't any of those aliens match you?" Excited, Merus clung to his hand, her previous resentments evaporating in an instant.

Xavier continued walking forward. "You'll understand in time. But how come you're out here alone? Where are your parents?"

Merus pouted slightly, her discontent apparent. "Who knows where they've run off to? I just heard the explosions and came out to see, only to find those aliens massacring Saiyans. I managed to kill a few weaker ones, then that alien chased me."

"Woo, that alien was really strong, kept chasing me without giving up..."

Recalling the harrowing experience, Merus's legs still felt weak. If not for Xavier's timely arrival, she would have been killed by that despicable alien.

Merus's parents had likely been summoned by King Vegeta, Xavier thought to himself. True to the typical Saiyan nature, they had responded to the king's call and gone to fight against Frieza's legions.

Yet, it was impressive that Merus, still so young, had managed to kill significantly strong aliens. Although she might have used the element of surprise, it was still quite remarkable.

As Xavier and Merus continued to eradicate the extraterrestrial threats on Planet Vegeta, in the vast cosmos, dazzling flowers of light blossomed in space.

The Saiyan elite warriors had encountered Frieza's first legion and engaged in fierce combat in outer space.

Space combat posed inherent limitations for Saiyans, as they could not survive in a vacuum. They had to envelop themselves in energy to make brief stays in space, which added an extra layer of risk in the perilous battles.

Many Saiyans ultimately could not withstand the onslaught and perished under the aliens' spears and cannons. Their bodies floated in space, then were incinerated by sweeping energy blasts.

Driven by fury, the Saiyans charged forward recklessly. Against the backdrop of the dark red Planet Vegeta, orange lights flickered in the tranquil cosmos... everything appeared so brutal.

Not far from them, numerous disc-shaped spacecraft were strategically positioned.

Soon after the first and second legions initiated their assault, the third and fourth legions of aliens joined the battle. Clad in armor and wielding energy cannons, they swarmed out like locusts. From a distance, they looked like a dark, overwhelming mass, covering the sky.

Soon, the space around Planet Vegeta was ablaze with electrical and fiery exchanges.

Half an hour passed in the blink of an eye, and hundreds of thousands of Saiyans had fallen on the battlefield. Watching the Saiyan warriors, bruised and battered yet still charging forward relentlessly, tears welled up in Bardock's eyes. Wasn't this the very scene he had witnessed on Planet Kanassa?

"Frieza!!" Bardock clenched his teeth in anger.

With a roar, his body suddenly erupted in a thick, pale golden energy barrier. This dense energy shield enveloped him, burning fiercely as Bardock's icy gaze fixed on the direction where Frieza was located.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Bardock fought in close quarters, his figure turning into a blur, rapidly moving to confront the aliens, furiously hurling energy spheres from his hands.

"So fast!"

Seeing Bardock's combat prowess, the surrounding aliens panicked, retreating en masse. However, a few bold ones advanced instead of withdrawing, grouping together to tightly surround Bardock. Some even rushed forward to grapple him fiercely.

"To hell with all of you!"

With a thunderous yell, a dazzling bright light flashed.

Bardock unleashed a massive burst of energy, blasting away the aliens clinging to him. The surging energy wave continued to ripple outward, incinerating all aliens within a hundred-meter radius to dust.

"Well done!"

"Long live Mr. Bardock!"

"Everyone charge, kill those damned aliens!"

"For the honor of the Saiyans..."

The remaining Saiyans were greatly inspired and charged at Frieza's legions as if invigorated. Bright flashes erupted abruptly, and thunderous explosions resonated in their ears. Some Saiyans, knowing they couldn't defeat their foes, chose to self-destruct, taking their enemies with them.

Watching Saiyan after Saiyan sacrifice their lives, Bardock's heart was torn asunder, and his attacks became even more ruthless. With a snap, he grabbed an alien by the leg, exerted force with both arms, and brutally snapped it...