Ch. 121: The Emperor's Second Form (2)

"Impressive, child. Not only did you manage to face my energy and stay standing, but you also somehow managed to move faster than even my own superior eyes could follow." Frieza analyzed me condescendingly. To be honest, though, I'd technically only done one of those things. 

When Frieza had unleashed his uncontrolled energy against Vegeta, I'd been expecting that move. 

Ki energy was directly tied to the soul. That was why people could manipulate it outside of their bodies. It was actually created via the bonds between body and soul. In other words, since I could 'think' with both my body and soul in complete harmony, my ki itself technically contained a small piece of my own sentience. It automatically sorted and reacted to certain information, similar to Goku's body when he uses Ultra Instinct in the future. My combat senses weren't high enough for me to unlock that same divine aspect that Goku learns later, but my ki senses were high enough that my own divine aspect, Absolution, had a part of it that emphasized that perfect control. 

I could easily say that my control over my power far surpassed any other being in the cosmos, including my own girls. 

When my ki had interacted with Frieza's uncontrolled, wild second-form ki, it had been something similar to the wisest person in the universe interacting with a toddler that was throwing a tantrum. My subconscious had immediately read Frieza's intentions like a book and analyzed the patterns in them to discover exactly how his energy was going to behave.

And how I could direct it to behave differently. It wasn't totally free from an energy-conservation standpoint, but I'd almost instantly gained the ability to use about half of Frieza's aura for my own means, within reason.

When Frieza had directed his energy to expand outward in a wave, I'd taken control of the parts that were going to hit Vegeta and directed them to lighten the air friction or aid my own energy in enhancing my speed instead. The resulting kickback had actually felt like a very well-placed punch to the gut, since my control over Frieza's energy was nowhere near perfect, since I was prioritizing energy conservation over control to an almost extreme degree to make up for the disparity between our power levels, but by gathering my energy in that cyclone as I postured in front of Frieza, I'd managed to keep myself from vomiting. 

"Frieza, I can't let you hurt anybody else." I declared, pointing at the tyrant, trying to put on a tough show to hide the fact that my body was not going to be able to keep up with Frieza at all if he decided to fight me up close. Not at this seal level, at least. "It's time for you to finally face somebody who you can't beat." That was the truth. No matter what Frieza did, if I were to unleash all of the special techniques I'd taught myself over my hundred years of training, I could easily destroy him at 100% of his full power. Luckily for him, I wasn't about to do that.

"Oh, really? You're telling me that you're actually stronger than me?" Frieza asked me sarcastically, raising an eyebrow. "I guess I'll have to watch out for you, then." His voice was even, but his energy betrayed the rampaging annoyance brewing just below the surface of Frieza's smug face. As well as...

I ducked to the right just as Frieza's tail burst out of the ground, aiming right for my heart. 

"Agh!" Vegeta yelped as the tail brushed his side, having completely missed me. With me in the way, he hadn't been able to see the attack coming, but his Saiyan instincts had managed to barely save his life. 

"Hanna!" Krillin shouted, seeing the hole that Frieza's tail had blown into Vegeta's side. It'd not only blasted straight through his armor, but the underclothing and the skin and muscles beneath it, and the Saiyan was dripping blood. If that attack had hit either of us head-on, it would have torn through our bodies like paper and kept going. 

"Impressive. Most people don't see that coming at all, you know." Frieza declared. His congratulations was entirely hollow, though. "Vegeta, if you don't move faster, you'll end up as a Saiyan-kebab, you know." He scolded the Saiyan behind me, who put his hand against his wound and cauterized it with energy, glaring at the Frost Demon in front of us with eyes too clouded by hate and fear to feel the full extent of the horrible pain that he must've been experiencing in that moment.

"Nice touch. Your tail extends in this form." I observed, changing the subject.

"Yes, I think it adds a bit of extra grandeur. My father prefers to use this form at all times, but I don't exactly enjoy the way that my energy tends to get away from me when I lose my temper... that's the main reason why I use my other form for the day-to-day... Running errands, conquering worlds, destroying impudent worms..."

"It doesn't matter which form you use, you're going to die here, Frieza!" I shouted, still putting on my little act. 

"I see... You're not impressed by one measly attack, are you?" Frieza asked me, seemingly impressed by my stalwart attitude. "I think we should make a bet. I'll allow you one free hit on me. Take all the time you want, gather all the energy you desire, it doesn't matter, so long as it's you who begins the attack, and I'll simply take it on my body. If your attack does nothing, then I'll make you my first victim. If it hurts me in any way, I'll spare your life after I kill your friends." Frieza declared.

I didn't move a muscle. I could damage Frieza. In fact, I could kill him with that one attack, in several dozen different ways, but it would require me to use techniques that I'd created myself. I couldn't do that.

Sensing my hesitation, Frieza shrugged his shoulders. "I suppose monkeys will be monkeys. If you don't at least begin your attack in the next five seconds, then I will kill you on the spot."