Emerging from the chamber, Aira's gaze snapped upward, immediately locking onto the source of the brilliant, silvery light—a full moon, hanging heavy in the night sky. She jerked her head away after only a glimpse, simultaneously pulling her training gi tightly around herself, making sure her tail was securely tucked and covered.
A full moon.
The reason for her panic was now horrifyingly clear. That savage, overwhelming ki could only mean one thing: Rhode had transformed into a Great Ape. What is he thinking?! Is he trying to obliterate the planet?!
In just over half a month, her own power had neared 8,000. Rhode, who hadn't needed to spend extra time on basic control, was undoubtedly stronger—likely pushing 10,000. Multiply that by ten in his Oozaru form... an uncontrollable rampage would be an extinction-level event for Earth.
Grim-faced, she shot into the air, a streak of light tearing across the night sky towards the epicenter of that terrifying aura. Cities, forests, and mountains blurred beneath her as she flew at her maximum speed, her mind racing with scenarios of apocalyptic destruction.
It wasn't long before the colossal silhouette came into view, hovering ominously above a desolate plain. But as she drew closer, Aira's panic stalled, replaced by confusion.
Hmm?
The gigantic ape wasn't raging. It wasn't destroying anything. It simply hung there in the air, a mountain of fur and muscle, eerily still.
He's conscious.
The realization hit her like a physical blow. The initial flood of relief was instantly swept away by a torrent of pure, seething frustration. That infuriating Rhode! He's ahead of me again!
Whoosh!
She halted in the air, coming to float directly in front of the Oozaru's massive, bestial face. To the titan, she was smaller than its eye, but her voice carried her indignation perfectly.
"Rhode! When did you learn to maintain consciousness?!"
Theoretically, elite warriors could master it, but it wasn't innate—it required training and immense willpower, especially for youths like them. He'd beaten her to another milestone.
"Oh?" The deep, rumbling voice of the Great Ape vibrated through the air. From this gargantuan perspective, she looked like an interesting insect. As for when he'd mastered it? The truth was, he'd always had it since his memories awoke. But he offered a convenient half-truth: "On Laina Star. How else do you think we survived?"
On Laina Star?! Months ago?! Aira's temper, momentarily subdued by worry, erupted anew. She wasn't angry he'd kept it secret; she was furious she'd fallen so far behind without even knowing. This wasn't like ki control—this was a purely Saiyan trait, impossible to learn without prior understanding or someone to demonstrate it.
"Why are you here?" the Great Ape rumbled, sounding genuinely surprised before answering his own question. "Ah. My control is imperfect in this form. The ki leakage." He shifted slightly, the motion causing a small gale to whip around Aira. "Don't worry. I'm just... familiarizing myself with this state. I plan to study it in depth."
A tenfold multiplier to battle power. It was a boost that dwarfed the Kaioken, which strained the body and drained energy. The Oozaru form, if controlled, offered monumental, sustained power with minimal ki expenditure, as long as the tail and the full moon remained. It was a primal treasure of their race, and Rhode was treating it like a subject for academic dissection. The sheer, calm audacity of it left Aira hovering in stunned silence, caught between her competitive fury and a dawning, grudging awe at his relentless pursuit of mastery.
"The only real drawback is the size," the colossal Rhode mused, his voice a low earthquake. "The bulk reduces agility against equally powerful foes, and it's a bigger target." He intended to study this form meticulously, to refine the Oozaru's raw power into something more precise, more controlled.
"Since you can keep your head, I might as well try it too!" Aira declared, not wanting to be left behind. She shrugged off her outer robe, exposing herself to the moon's glow. "If I lose control... you know what to do," she added, the words barely out before the transformation seized her.
Under Rhode's watchful gaze, her body swelled and contorted. In a single breath, a second, slightly smaller Great Ape stood beside him, muscles coiling under thick fur.
ROAR!
The newborn Oozaru—Aira—threw her head back and unleashed an instinctual, deafening roar at the moon. Her maw opened wide, energy crackling as she began to form a destructive blast.
BANG!
But before the sphere could fully materialize, a shadow fell over her. Rhode's massive, furred hand clamped over her snout, smothering the energy buildup with a muffled crunch of suppressed power.
ROAR!
Enraged and confused, Aira's crimson eyes blazed with mindless fury. They locked onto Rhode, the obvious threat. With a world-shaking bellow, she swung a tree-trunk-sized arm at him.
The air itself shattered around her fist, creating concussive shockwaves that ripped across the landscape below. The barren plains and distant mountain peaks were scoured as if by a primal storm. It was a mercy this place was deserted.
BANG!
Rhode raised his own arm, intercepting the blow with a sound like colliding continents. The impact sent visible ripples through the atmosphere. Then, with a contemptuous backhand swipe, he sent her crashing back to earth.
BOOM!
The impact was cataclysmic. The ground erupted, forming a new crater as rocks and dirt were hurled skyward. The mindless Aira, however, was largely unharmed—the Oozaru form was brutally durable. She shook her head, debris flying from her fur, her crimson glare fixed hatefully on Rhode hovering above.
With a ground-shattering push from her powerful legs, she launched herself upward like a living meteor, a bestial roar tearing from her throat as she aimed to grapple her tormentor.
ROAR!
Rhode watched her furious ascent, his own conscious mind coolly analyzing her trajectory and power. As she reached the apex of her leap, he didn't dodge. Instead, he simply raised a massive foot.
With timed, devastating precision, he brought his foot down in a crushing stomp, meeting her rising charge head-on.
THUMP!
The sound was a sickening, deep impact. The force of the counter-blow slammed Aira back down toward the crater she'd just left, this time with even greater velocity, carving a deeper scar into the earth. Conscious Rhode was in full control, and the mindless beast that was Aira was little more than a training dummy—a stark, brutal demonstration of the gulf between raw power and disciplined mastery.