The battlefield, once torn apart by Saiyan rage and desperate defenses, was now drowned in a new silence—an uneasy quiet before a storm far greater than Nappa or Vegeta had brought. The gigantic Frieza Force ship, its metallic hull glinting in the broken light of the ruined wasteland, sat like a mountain of death in front of the exhausted warriors.
The ramp hissed open. One after another, soldiers of the Frieza Force marched out, their scouters blinking green as they scanned every fighter on the field. There were dozens… no—hundreds. Each clad in the black-and-white armor of Frieza's empire. Their power levels surged like waves in the air, pressing down on the already weakened Z Fighters.
And then came him—Dodoria. The pink-skinned brute, enormous and heavy, with jagged spikes jutting from his head. His grin was as wide as it was cruel.
Gohan trembled. Krillin's breath caught. Even Piccolo's narrowed eyes gave away a moment of unease.
But Rudra stood tall, despite the weight of his injuries and exhaustion. His eyes didn't waver.
He stepped forward, his shadow stretching long across the broken earth.
"Dodoria!" Rudra's voice boomed, cutting the heavy silence. "Take your army back… or you'll regret stepping foot here."
A ripple of disbelief passed through the crowd. Even Vegeta, bruised and bloody on his knees, barked out a laugh.
"You fool," Vegeta rasped, shaking his head. "You don't even realize who you're talking to… Dodoria could crush you without lifting a finger."
Nappa, battered and wheezing, added with a growl, "Mocking Dodoria… you're asking for death."
But Dodoria only chuckled, his massive belly shaking. He tapped the side of his scouter, its lens flashing as it scanned Rudra.
"Beep… beep… 200," the scouter read.
Dodoria burst out laughing, a cruel, mocking sound that echoed across the battlefield.
"Two-hundred! Hah! PATHETIC!" He raised a thick finger toward Rudra. "You think you can threaten me? You're weaker than a worm! Even the lowest soldier in Frieza's army has a power level of at least one thousand."
He turned, smirking at his men. "One of you—show this insect his place."
One soldier stepped forward, laughing arrogantly as he powered up, blue aura sparking around him. His scouter beeped—Power Level: 1,050. Compared to Rudra's 200, it was a gulf as wide as the ocean.
Kami's voice echoed in Rudra's mind, tense with fear.
"Rudra, stop this madness! That's Dodoria—Frieza's elite! If you engage them now, you will die!"
And then King Kai's voice joined in telepathically, desperate.
"Listen, Rudra! Dodoria isn't bluffing. His power makes Vegeta look like a child. You can't win. Step back before you're killed!"
But Rudra didn't move. He didn't flinch. His calm eyes remained locked on the soldier approaching him.
The soldier sneered. "You're finished, weakling!"
With a burst of speed, he lunged forward, fist cocked back, and slammed it into Rudra's chest.
Boom!
The ground cracked beneath Rudra's feet, but he didn't stagger. He didn't even blink. He stood like a mountain, unmoved.
The soldier blinked in confusion, then pulled back. "What—?!"
His balance faltered. For reasons he couldn't understand, his legs betrayed him, and he stumbled forward, crashing into the dirt face-first.
The other soldiers erupted into laughter, jeering at their comrade. But the soldier's face turned red with fury.
"You dare mock me?!" he screamed, leaping back to his feet. His palms glowed as he charged a massive ball of Ki, energy swirling violently.
"Die, insect!"
He unleashed the blast straight at Rudra.
But then—something strange happened. The Ki attack fizzled, then vanished into nothing before it even left his hands.
"What?!" the soldier gasped, eyes wide in disbelief. His body locked, stiff, his arms frozen in place. He struggled, but his limbs refused to obey him. His shadow was stretched unnaturally long on the ground… and from it, thin strands of darkness bound his arms, legs, and chest.
"Wha—what's happening?!" he cried.
Rudra's calm voice broke the confusion.
"Chaaya Bandhan(Shadow Bind)"
The soldier's eyes went wide as his own body betrayed him. His mouth opened in a scream, but it was too late. His body twisted sharply, unnaturally, until there was a sickening crack! His life ended before he hit the ground.
The field went dead silent.
Every Frieza soldier froze in place, staring in shock. Dodoria's eyes bulged, his grin wiped away. Even Vegeta's face betrayed disbelief.
Goku, lying battered in the dirt, forced his head up to watch. His chest rose and fell, heart pounding as his eyes widened.
"R-Rudra… he… he killed someone stronger than him… without even touching him."
Piccolo's sharp eyes narrowed. He whispered, more to himself than to anyone else:
"Impossible… It looked like the soldier just… fell apart on his own. But no. Rudra did something. He controlled him."
Krillin's jaw hung open. "W-what the hell did we just see?!"
From their perspective, it looked like Rudra had stood still while the soldier crumbled on his own. Only Rudra knew the truth—that his technique had forced the enemy's body to betray itself, his (Chaaya Bandhan) shadow binding technique controlling his motion until it broke him.
Dodoria snarled, stepping forward, his fists clenching.
"You filthy earthling… What trickery is this?! How dare you humiliate the Frieza Force?!"
But before Dodoria could act, Vegeta—yes, Vegeta himself—forced himself to stand. His body trembled, his armor cracked, but his eyes were blazing.
He looked at Rudra for a long moment, and then… he smirked.
"Hey, Rudra," Vegeta said, his voice hoarse but steady. "I don't know how you did it… but I like it. You managed to kill one of Frieza's soldiers when even Kakarot couldn't move. Impressive."
The others stared, stunned.
Vegeta raised his fist, aura flickering weakly but defiantly. "Listen… I don't care if you're some earthling freak or whatever you are. I hate Dodoria. I hate Frieza. If you're standing against them, then I'll fight alongside you."
A hush fell over the battlefield. Gohan's eyes widened, his small hands gripping his torn gi.
"V-Vegeta… wants to fight with Rudra?"
Piccolo's eyes narrowed. "This… changes everything."
Dodoria's face twisted with rage as Vegeta and Rudra both faced him.
"You dare team up against me?!"
Rudra stepped forward, his shadow stretching toward Dodoria, voice steady, unshaken.
"I don't care if you're stronger than Vegeta. I don't care if you're Frieza's dog. You've stepped onto my earth. And I will not let you take another step forward."
Dodoria's laughter returned, booming across the broken plains. "Fine then, worm. Let's see how long you last against me."
And the battlefield trembled once more, as the storm of Dodoria's wrath approached.