Lapis tilted his head slightly, watching Frieza with an amused smile.
"Android 17? Strange name," Frieza said mockingly, folding his arms. "But you don't look that old either. It's normal to be a little arrogant when you're young and strong."
Lapis blinked, genuinely confused. "Arrogant? When did I say anything arrogant?"
Before anyone could react, he casually reached out and patted Frieza on the head.
"Shorty, you don't even look like you've hit adulthood yet, but you talk like a grumpy old man."
Gasps erupted from Frieza's soldiers. Every single one of them froze in place, horror etched across their faces.
"This planet… is doomed," one of them whispered.
Hearing the word "shorty" twice—and being touched on the head—was more than Frieza could take. His calm façade shattered.
"You boastful fool!" he roared, purple Ki flaring wildly around him. "I'll kill you where you stand!"
Boom!
The ground split beneath his feet as raw energy surged from his body. His First Form's power flooded the air, enough to make even Goku and Vegeta tense.
But Lapis only squinted against the shockwave, hair fluttering from the blast. He didn't even look impressed.
Frieza snarled, eyes glowing red. In a flash, two beams of energy shot from his pupils, striking Lapis square in the chest and burning clean holes through his shirt.
Lapis glanced down at the smoking fabric and sighed. "Hey, these were new. I wore them for the party, you know. That's just rude."
Frieza's eyes widened. His attack had enough power to melt reinforced steel—but it hadn't even scratched Lapis's skin.
Before he could process it, Lapis vanished from sight, reappearing before Frieza and delivering a light kick to the stomach.
"Waaagh!"
Frieza coughed out a mouthful of purple blood and crumpled to the ground, gasping for air. His soldiers panicked and shouted in unison:
"King Frieza!"
Lapis frowned. "What's with all the 'King, King'? Sounds so outdated."
Frieza trembled with rage, his teeth grinding as he glared up from the dirt. That one kick had nearly killed him—he couldn't believe it.
Lapis crouched down beside him, resting his chin on one hand. "My brother-in-law said you were strong. Turns out 'some strength' really meant barely any. You're kind of disappointing, you know that?"
Frieza's pride shattered. No one had ever dared to humiliate him like this.
He stood up abruptly, wiping blood from his mouth. "You're strong, I'll admit that. But don't get ahead of yourself. I haven't even used one percent of my true power yet!"
He wasn't exaggerating—his Final Form's battle power exceeded one hundred million.
Lapis raised an eyebrow. "Really? Even if you multiplied that by a hundred, you still wouldn't match me."
Frieza's eye twitched. "You arrogant Earthling! There's a limit to delusion!"
With a snarl, he tore off his battle armor and scouter. His muscles tensed, his body trembling as he began to transform.
Lapis floated up slightly, crossing his arms as he watched the show. "Alright then, let's see your grand performance."
Frieza gritted his teeth, forcing his body through the transformation. His aura exploded into a storm of purple light, and a dense energy sphere enveloped him. The pressure alone darkened the skies above.
Lazuli's voice echoed from below, full of irritation. "Lapis! Stop fooling around and finish that guy already! He's ruining what was supposed to be a peaceful day!"
Lapis winced, turning midair. "I know, Lazuli! I was just—"
Crack!
The energy sphere surrounding Frieza fractured, splitting apart like glass. When the light faded, Frieza's Final Form stood revealed—sleek, polished, and deadly calm.
His expression was composed, confident… until Lapis spoke again.
"Oh, you can transform? That's neat. But your height didn't change at all—you're still so tiny. Kinda cute, actually."
Frieza's composure broke instantly. His aura flared as he glared up, voice trembling with fury.
"You'll pay for that… every word of it."
Lapis just shrugged. "Then I'll look forward to it."
The air trembled as Frieza suddenly lunged forward, hurling a powerful blast of purple energy. Lapis lifted a single hand and flicked the attack upward, sending it bursting harmlessly into the sky.
The explosion painted the heavens violet. Gritting his teeth, Frieza unleashed a storm of blasts, but each one was effortlessly deflected.
From the city below, confused civilians stared up at the glowing sky.
"Wow… Capsule Corporation must be testing new fireworks," one murmured.
"Setting them off in broad daylight too," another said.
They didn't realize that a single one of those "fireworks" could've leveled the entire city.
Realizing his ranged attacks were useless, Frieza charged forward, fists clenched. Lapis dodged easily, soaring into the clouds to keep the fight away from Lazuli.
The two figures disappeared into the sky, and thunderous booms echoed above.
On the ground, the Z Fighters watched in silence, tension thick in the air. Lazuli, however, ignored the chaos for a moment. She carefully held a piece of grilled meat to Chiga's lips, her tone soft and playful.
"Chiga, try this one. It might not be as good as Lapis's, but I worked on it."
Chiga smiled faintly, taking a large bite. "It's perfect. The doneness is just right. My Lazuli really knows how to cook."
Her cheeks flushed pink at the praise. Before she could reply, a shadow streaked across the sky.
A moment later, a small figure crashed into the earth with tremendous force—sending dust flying.
When the air cleared, the figure on the ground was unmistakable.
Frieza had fallen.
---