Aira's confidence was absolute, and it was built on a foundation of solid, terrifying capability.
Barrier. Recovery. Instant Transmission. A perfected Great Ape Power that could multiply her strength tenfold in an instant—a power she had never once revealed to Zarbon in their year of brutal sparring. And beyond those, techniques she had developed herself over five solitary years, honed in the quiet hours when the world didn't need saving and she needed something to fill the void Rhode had left.
She wasn't walking into a trap. She was walking into an opportunity.
The only question was whether Zarbon's masters could provide enough pressure to finally, finally ignite the golden flame.
If they couldn't... well, she would simply obliterate them and move on.
Namek's Grand Elder watched her vanish with a heavy heart. He had hoped to warn her, to steer her away from danger. But Aira was not a child to be protected. She was a force of nature, and forces of nature did not bend to advice.
"Ayla... Rod... when will you two reckless Saiyans learn to be careful?" he murmured to the empty air.
The desolate planet was gray and dead, its surface pocked with craters and wind-carved rock. Aira materialized high above, her senses sweeping the landscape. Nothing hidden. No concealed army, no massive energy signatures lying in wait.
Fine. If they won't show themselves, I'll force them out.
She descended, appearing directly before Zarbon.
"You wretched woman! You finally came!" Zarbon's face twisted with a mixture of hatred and triumph. His eyes gleamed with the confidence of a man who believed he held all the cards.
Aira didn't even bother with a retort. She simply looked at him, then past him, her gaze sweeping the empty horizon. "Well? I'm here. Show me your surprise. I hope it's better than your fighting skills."
"You—!" Zarbon's face reddened with rage. "Arrogant woman! You have no idea what's waiting for you!"
The transparent dome shimmered into existence, sealing the area around them. Aira watched its formation with detached curiosity, making no move to stop it. Another dome, larger, enveloped the entire planet. Interesting. A cage.
"You foolish woman!" Zarbon's voice dripped with venomous satisfaction. "You just watched! You didn't even try to stop it!"
"Hahahaha~"
The laugh was cold, ancient, and filled with predatory delight. From a hidden underground structure, a tall figure emerged, draped in a cape, horns curving from his head. His eyes, cold and merciless, fixed on Aira with a hatred that burned across generations.
"Zarbon, I told you. Saiyans are stupid monkeys. Do you believe me now?"
Aira's gaze shifted from the dome to the newcomer. The resemblance to Frieza was unmistakable, yet the aura was different—older, heavier, but somehow less refined.
"King Cold."
The name fell from her lips like a curse. She had never met him, but she knew the face of the tyrant who had ruled alongside his son, who had presided over an empire of terror.
Her senses probed him. Stronger than Zarbon, certainly. More than her base power, but not overwhelmingly so. Perhaps one hundred fifty million. A threat, but not an insurmountable one.
Her eyes swept the area, searching for another familiar, hated presence.
No Frieza.
She looked back at the two of them, a flicker of disappointment crossing her features. "Just the two of you?"