Chapter 47 – Keep Your Damn Distance!

Nappa's calculating eyes tracked Ajax as the young warrior boldly advanced to the forefront of the Z Fighters. Nappa could appreciate the strategic decision. Sending Ajax as the vanguard was a wise choice, as among their ranks, Ajax stood as the sole contender capable of genuinely confronting and matching him head-on.

Tearing off the remnants of his shattered armor, he flexed his left arm, a subdued growl escaping him as pain coursed through him. While Ajax's earlier ferocious Pinpoint Impact had left his left arm somewhat incapacitated, it won't hinder him too much. Despite the injury, the arm hadn't fully lost its functionality, and that was enough for him. He had battled through worse injuries in the past after all. With a sudden burst of energy, he activated Stormforged Mantle, and an intimidating aura of electricity rippled over his form, amplifying the intensity of his presence.

Ajax adopted a focused stance of his own, his energy pulsing around him with disciplined intensity. His senses sharpened as he gauged the distance between him and Nappa. In a sudden surge of speed, Ajax propelled himself toward his adversary, the ground beneath him fracturing and shattering under the sheer force of his acceleration.

Nappa was certainly no spring chicken. He was a seasoned veteran in combat, and he could guess at Ajax's strategy. Now that Ajax wasn't fighting solo, the best strategy would be to intercept Nappa to prevent him from targeting the more fragile Z Fighters. It was a shrewd move–if Nappa had still been restricted from energy attacks, that is.

As Ajax reached the midpoint between them, Nappa raised a single hand, a dark grin stretching across his face as he directed two fingers upward. Nappa savored the satisfaction that enveloped him as he witnessed Ajax's eyes widen. That's right, pipsqueak, he was no longer restricted to melee!

"VOLCANIC EXPLOSION!"

In an instant, the air around Nappa became charged with energy, causing the very ground beneath them to convulse violently.

Without warning, the entire area in front of Nappa erupted in an enormous explosion, fiery tendrils of energy ascending toward the sky. The deafening roar and scorching heat emanating from the explosion could be heard and felt across the battlefield.

Nappa's smile transformed into a sly smirk. This was his signature technique, the move that many had remembered him for. It was the very same move that had laid waste to megacities and entire civilizations. This should've killed all of– oh shit! Nappa's confidence faltered for a split second as a sudden wave of dread washed over him. Had he unleashed his Volcanic Explosion with too much force? Did he accidentally kill Gohan too?!

Before Nappa could shed a single strand of hair in worry, Ajax burst from the billowing aftermath of the Volcanic Explosion. Despite looking much worse for wear, his attire singed and tattered, Ajax pressed onward, momentum unbroken by the powerful Ki attack.

Ajax's and Nappa's fists collided with great force, the wind howling around them and dispersing any lingering smoke as the impact of their attacks nullified each other. The battlefield crackled with electric energy as Nappa and Ajax locked each other into a fierce exchange of blows.

Nappa scowled, his confusion morphing into irritation as Ajax only flinched lightly in response to the electric charge coursing through him. What was this bullshit? The electricity of his technique was a formidable weapon in its own right and wasn't just for show! However, something had changed, as Ajax now seemed capable of resisting the once devastating electricity. Why had his lightning suddenly turned less effective? Was it the apples?

In the midst of the furious melee, a small blast rammed into Nappa's face, causing him to momentarily stagger in surprise. The unexpected impact momentarily diverted his focus from the intense engagement with Ajax to the origin of the attack—a figure suspended in mid-air at a considerable distance. It was the tiny white midget.

Nappa's eyes darted to the airborne assembly of Z Fighters, also positioned at a secure distance, Gohan being among them. Relief washed over him as he noted the young Saiyan's unharmed state. While it was good that Gohan was fine, a wave of irritation quickly followed. Did his initial attack not manage to do a single damn thing? Were all of them able to immediately retreat or something? How the hell did they anticipate his move?

A forceful blow struck his jaw, forcing his head to swivel to the side while another punch buried itself into his stomach, punishing him for his brief lapse in attention. Ah. There it was; Nappa had connected the dots. Of course, it would be Ajax. The entire battle had turned from a walk in the park to a genuine challenge the moment Ajax had entered the fray.

Nappa's irritation transformed into a grudging recognition of Ajax's tactical acumen. So, his guess had been right after all: Ajax had indeed become the linchpin of the defense, countering his attacks to provide the rest with an opportunity to regroup. Only now did it dawn on him that Ajax had knowingly chosen to tank the brunt of his Volcanic Explosion to pin him down, despite being fully aware that he would start with such an opening move. All this was executed with the sole purpose of securing a window for the others to safely retreat to a distance beyond harm's reach.

As his chaotic battle with Ajax continued, Nappa felt a subtle telekinetic force settle over him. Nappa cursed under his breath at the white midget. While this might have been a mere inconvenience when he had fought against the others, dealing with it while in combat with Ajax was a whole other story.

Almost immediately, Nappa felt the invisible force that sought to restrict his every action intensify. Then, with almost perfect synchrony, Ajax landed two rapid strikes almost simultaneously on his bare stomach. He grunted in pain.

Just as Nappa regained his bearings, he registered another incoming strike, this one aglow with energy. Reacting with the slightest margin, Nappa managed to deflect the attack, redirecting it away from his person. Though the strike never made physical contact with the ground, Nappa could sense its energy obliterating the earth beside him. He knew it. That had been Pinpoint Impact.

Content to have finally evaded Pinpoint Impact for once, Nappa found his satisfaction short-lived as his retaliation strike was rudely interrupted by two blasts ramming themselves into his face, courtesy of three-eyes and the white midget. Simultaneously, he can see the Namekian charging something rather ominous on his fingertips, and the bald idiot conjuring that energy sawblade attack. Not to be outdone, even Gohan had a crackling yellow orb poised between his fingers on his forehead.

Bracing himself, Nappa crossed his arms, deflecting Ajax's subsequent barrage of strikes.

Okay, this was definitely not great. The combination of telekinetic interference, precise energy strikes, the looming threat of dangerous energy attacks, and the constant presence of Ajax had genuinely suppressed him. For a warrior who thrived on dominating and overpowering his enemies, the feeling of being suppressed was both unfamiliar and infuriating.

Feeling the pressure mounting, Nappa knew he had to act decisively. Something had to give, or he risked being overwhelmed. He had to remove a few of the extras from the battle.

These thoughts raced through Nappa's mind in the blink of an eye before Nappa made his first move. Rather than opting for retreat, the Saiyan General gritted his teeth and advanced, absorbing the force of Ajax's powerful blows that slammed into his torso, all in exchange for a singular opportunity for retaliation.

His hands moved with lightning speed, grabbing Ajax's head firmly. Fueled by adrenaline, Nappa crashed his head into Ajax—once, twice, and then a third time. Nappa hoped the headbutt did something because Ajax's head proved to be harder than he had anticipated.

Capitalizing on the fleeting opening, Nappa resumed his assault. He opened his jaws wide, revealing a powerful energy blast within the cavity of his mouth that he had been charging for some time.

"Breaker Cannon!"

A searing torrent of energy tore from Nappa's throat, hurtling downwards toward Ajax and forcefully driving the young warrior to the ground. The beam continued its descent, drilling Ajax into the earth and forming a seemingly bottomless hole that extended downward into darkness. Nappa halted the attack. He had to hurry. While that attack would have vaporized any of the other extras, Nappa knew he didn't have long before Ajax recovered and mounted his counteroffensive.

Without hesitation, Nappa sprang into action. Instincts guiding him, he narrowly dodged a spiraling beam of something unleashed by the Namekian that whizzed past him. Immediately afterward, he smoothly slid beneath the menacing energy sawblade attack conjured by the bald idiot.

Nappa narrowed his eyes. Those sawblades were potential kill shots, proved to be harder to evade than the Namekian's beam, and seemed to charge with alarming speed. He had to prioritize neutralizing the bald idiot first because believe it or not, he's the primary threat. Nappa's focus sharpened on Krillin.

Nappa transformed into a streak of motion as he zoomed across the battlefield, leaving a trail of crackling lightning in his wake. He seamlessly weaved in and out of a barrage of laser beams and energy attacks that descended upon him like torrential rain. In a bold move, Nappa crossed his arms and charged straight through Gohan's Masenko.

The Saiyan warrior closed the distance in an instant, honing in on the immediate threat—Krillin. Before anyone could intervene, Nappa seized Krillin in a tight embrace, allowing the crackling electricity from his own body to course through the bald warrior. Then, Nappa turned to the rest of his enemies, strategically positioning Krillin as a human shield. As anticipated, the barrage stopped.

Taking a moment to fry the bald idiot a little, Nappa swiftly redirected his focus towards Chiaotzu and flashed towards him, simultaneously releasing the slightly smoking Krillin mid-air. Krillin fell and crashed into the ground, twitching and somehow still conscious, but in great pain.

Chiaotzu's face twisted with fear, a sense of déjà vu enveloping him as Nappa closed in on him menacingly. The telekinetic warrior vividly remembered the result of the Saiyan's prior assault on him as clearly as the back of his hand. If he couldn't dodge it then, he certainly couldn't dodge it now. Somehow, Chiaotzu didn't think Nappa would stop at a clothesline this time. Regardless, he concentrated all his energy on strengthening his telekinesis in a desperate bid to slow Nappa down as his last defiant act.

Just as Nappa neared Chiaotzu, the ground erupted in a spectacular display of energy, and Ajax materialized before Nappa. In a singular motion, Ajax unleashed a brutal hammer strike, slamming Nappa away from Chiaotzu. The force of the blow sent Nappa hurtling through the air, his body crashing into the unforgiving ground with a dull boom, creating a plume of dirt that billowed upwards.

Ajax did not look good. The majority of his outer Gi had been disintegrated by the blast and blood seeped from his mouth. Ajax stood, visibly panting and trembling from the damage inflicted by Nappa's single most powerful Ki attack.

The Z Fighters, witnessing the exchange, experienced a renewed surge of hope. Despite his injuries, Ajax had successfully intervened, granting a crucial moment of reprieve from Nappa's relentless onslaught.

"Distance! Distance! That one's on me, but do your best to keep your f*cking distance!" Ajax urgently commanded as he descended with a drop kick to reengage Nappa.

Adhering to Ajax's command, Gohan swiftly moved to Krillin's side. "Krillin, we need to get you further from the fight," Gohan urged. With a careful yet firm grip, he helped Krillin to his feet. Coughing and spasming from the lingering effects of the electricity, Krillin gritted his teeth, allowing himself to be dragged away from the battle.

***

Following that intense exchange, the minutes crawled by with agonizing slowness as the fight between Ajax and Nappa settled into an uneasy equilibrium. A deep chill coursed down everyone's spines as they witnessed the non-stop exchange of blows.

All of them had sensed the stark contrast between the current battle and their previous encounter with Nappa. During the first battle, before Ajax had arrived, Nappa had been a boisterous presence, chattering away and half-focused on imparting his combat wisdom to Gohan. However, in the current battle, Nappa's demeanor had changed. There was no smile. There was no banter. From the very beginning of the battle to the present moment, except for his initial attack, Nappa had not uttered a single word. This time, Nappa was going for the kill.

As the fight continued, it became increasingly apparent to everyone that both combatants were wearing each other down under the unrelenting pace of the extended battle. Ajax, in particular, had borne the full weight of Nappa's assault. His resilience had been the linchpin, enduring blow after blow, even the ones directed at the Z Fighters. In return, the Z Fighters had bombarded Nappa at the slightest opportunity.

However, none of the Z Fighters could ignore the signs that Ajax was reaching the limit of his endurance. The toll of the fight decorated Ajax's body like abstract art, and he seemed to be teetering on the brink of exhaustion. Though Nappa didn't look much better, the realization still sent waves of apprehension through their ranks. They were acutely aware that without Ajax, Nappa would have overwhelmed them all long ago.

Without warning, a colossal and blinding beam of light erupted from Nappa's hands, engulfing Ajax, and seemingly carrying him into distance unknown.

A stunned silence settled in the wake of the blinding beam of energy that had spirited Ajax away into the distance. In unison, the Z Fighters' collective gazes turned back to the snarling figure of Nappa, now unburdened by Ajax's presence for the second time in the course of the chaotic battle. The realization of Ajax's sudden disappearance sent a collective chill down their spines.

Nappa confronted their gazes head-on. The initial Breaker Cannon hadn't managed to eradicate Ajax the first time and Nappa doubted it would fare differently the second time, especially since he had prioritized blunt force and distance over sheer intensity for this iteration. Honestly, he just wanted the little pain in his ass as far away from him as possible.

From what he knew of Ajax's physical stats, Nappa calculated with his 2,500 IQ mind that he had bought approximately thirty seconds. Thirty seconds until Ajax returns. Thirty seconds of freedom. Thirty seconds to kill everyone here.

Except Gohan.

During all of this, Vegeta continued to lean against his rock, his surroundings entirely unaffected by the battle. His scouter, however, began to emit a series of beeps, alerting him to an incoming energy signature. Vegeta opened his eyes, looking at the scouter's display.

As the numbers danced across the screen, Vegeta's eyebrow arched in mild surprise at the magnitude of the approaching power before a self-assured smirk spread across his face. So, this was Kakarot, the so-called 'hero', weighing in at just slightly above four thousand. How… disappointing. Looks like the native brat wasn't as clairvoyant as he claimed to be.

"Nappa! Another energy signature will arrive within a few minutes, slightly over four thousand. Defeat the stragglers first, so they do not gang up on you."

Without looking at Vegeta, Nappa acknowledged the order with a backward thumbs up.

25 seconds left.

Nappa blurred out of sight with a flash and a crackle of electricity.