Raditz watched the numbers jumping on his scouter, his gaze fixed on the Green Hulk with intense curiosity and greed.
If he could get his hands on a method to endlessly increase his battle power like that, Vegeta and Nappa would never dare look down on him again.
The Thing hoisted a massive truck and hurled it straight at Raditz.
"Foolish."
Raditz sneered and released a dazzling energy blast from his bare hand.
BOOM!
The devastating energy blast not only obliterated the truck, it sent the Thing flying as well, his whereabouts unknown.
After the Sword Bureau updated its assessment on the terror of Dragon-level monsters, battle tactics against Demon-level and above changed dramatically. No longer did they rely on swarming the enemy with large numbers of superheroes.
Most superheroes were simply too weak and would get killed outright.
Last time, during the battle with the Dragon-level monster King Piccolo, the mere shockwaves from his fight with Zod Hess had killed two superheroes and gravely injured over a dozen more.
So this time, Raditz was also designated a Dragon-level monster, but only the current Big Three would face him.
The other superheroes had to flee for their lives. Even A-class heroes could only hover at the fringes, hoping for a lucky opening.
The Thing had grown much stronger through training, but his enemies kept getting even stronger. As a result, he looked like he couldn't do anything except take a beating.
Tony Stark received the nano-component payload deployed by Veronica, replenishing his nanite armor. At the same time, he began assembling an energy cannon with the nanobots.
The inspiration came from the endless variety of energy weapons Zod Hess wielded, and his own laser cutting was integrated into this nanite suit.
Fusing cutting-edge nanotechnology with other advanced sciences, the armor was upgraded to an almost unimaginable level of power.
This nanite armor meant everything to Stark. It truly freed him from that awkward, middling tier of power and launched him into a whole new realm, making him a superhero who could go toe-to-toe with cosmic powerhouses.
Even the Bleeding Edge armor was left completely in the dust.
The reason Tony Stark still looked like he was just coasting was also because the enemies kept getting stronger. Put any other opponent in front of the current Tony Stark, and he would obliterate them in seconds.
Raditz and Tony's energy cannons fired directly at each other. Raditz came out on top. The massive energy impact triggered an even larger explosion, and the unscientific beam-struggle phenomenon didn't happen.
Watching from the sidelines, Zod Hess was rather relieved.
If an actual beam struggle had broken out, he might as well have abandoned his entire worldview.
Even more powerful energy rippled outward. The resulting shockwave and explosion obliterated a small chunk of New York, tearing through over a dozen streets. Luckily, the people had long been evacuated.
Rage Hulk lunged at Raditz. Raditz raised an arm and blocked Hulk's fist. That all-shattering punch slammed into Raditz's arm without budging him in the slightest. Instead, Raditz fired a point-blank energy wave that blasted clear through Hulk's body.
Rage Hulk staggered and dropped to one knee. The Thing let out a bellowing roar.
At that moment, Raditz suddenly felt something churning inside his own body. Caught completely off guard, he was directly injured.
Invisible Woman Susan had maneuvered an invisible force field inside Raditz and detonated it. If Raditz's internal ki hadn't been so overwhelmingly strong, that attack would have severely wounded him.
Raditz detected Susan's ki, and with an enraged shout, he launched an energy blast. Human Torch Johnny swiftly grabbed his sister and pulled her back.
Weak A-class heroes like them could only play a support role.
"Bastard! Don't you dare run!"
Raditz clutched his chest. He had almost been seriously maimed just now. Enraged, he unleashed dozens of energy blasts.
"Is this guy's energy infinite?"
Nick Fury's expression was grim as he stared at the screen. Sword Bureau researchers had already analyzed that each of Raditz's energy blasts packed the power and destructive radius of a fuel-air bomb. He was practically a walking arsenal.
Compared to King Piccolo, Raditz's energy blasts were more powerful and faster. He was presumed to be an even more dangerous Dragon-level monster.
But could an alien even be counted as a monster?
More ominously, Raditz's claim that his Saiyan race was the strongest warrior race in the universe unsettled the higher-ups of every nation.
From the combat power Raditz had displayed, the title of universe's strongest warrior race was well earned. No one knew what standing Raditz held among the Saiyans, but even if his rank wasn't high, he alone could basically steamroll the entire planet.
The only reason they hadn't lost all hope yet was that Earth's strongest superhero, Zod Hess, still hadn't entered the fray.
Zod Hess was the hope of all mankind, their final trump card. If he failed too, then Earthlings might as well just go to sleep or start figuring out how to relocate.
The Big Three were getting brutalized by Raditz. He was utterly overwhelming them. Even with A-class heroes offering backup and harassment nearby, they could barely hold a fragile balance.
But in truth, they were still taking a savage beating.
The Thing already lay motionless inside a giant crater, completely unconscious. The stone skin across his entire body was cracked. He had absorbed a huge number of Raditz's attacks. Even with Invisible Woman Susan blocking quite a few with her force fields, he was severely wounded and knocked out.
Tony had burned through most of the nanobots in his nanite armor. While mentally cataloging his suit's shortcomings, he furiously tried to contact that bastard Zod Hess.
Out of everyone on the battlefield, only the Green Hulk could still fight Raditz.
Raditz realized that the more he fought this big green monster, the stronger its battle power became.
The Green Hulk roared endlessly. He drove a fist into Raditz's arm, and this time Raditz could no longer take the punch with ease. He was forced backward. Green Hulk seized the opening, launching a three-hit combo and then a furious chain of blows.
Raditz gnashed his teeth, his arms moving like lightning to block Green Hulk's punches.
This monster's battle power had soared from a little over five hundred at the start to over nine hundred now, closing in on Raditz's own.
Yet whether Raditz pierced its heart or bombarded it completely, he couldn't kill it.
A creeping unease began to settle over him.
"Damn bastard, try this!"
Raditz cupped his hands together, gathering a massive charge of ki. Green Hulk paid no heed, relying entirely on his unkillable body that only grew stronger. He charged straight forward.
With a mighty roar, Raditz thrust his hands forward and released the energy wave.
A torrent of devastating power instantly swallowed the Green Hulk, obliterating everything in its path.
/-\
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