Chapter 7 – Storm on the Horizon (Part 2)
Dust hovered like a breath held too long.
Tao Pai Pai stood perfectly still in the town square, the bodies of unconscious fighters slumped around him. No civilians were killed. There was no need. Precision was his language.
Across from him, a boy walked forward — calm, deliberate.
Raiku.
Nine years old. Tail swaying.
To the villagers hiding in shadows, he looked like a strange but brave child.
To Tao Pai Pai, he was something else entirely. Unreadable. Too still.
What he couldn't know was that Raiku's true strength lay buried beneath layers of suppression.
> [System Status – Active Suppression: 6,800 → Output Masked at <100]
Suppression Mode: Stable
Detection Risk: Minimal
Earth Standard: Max Known PL ≈ 120 (Target: Roshi)
Raiku had learned early that power invited danger — not just to him, but to the planet he now called home. It was why he trained alone at night. Why he never flared his Ki unnecessarily. Why even now, in front of this killer, his true aura remained hidden beneath controlled breathing and still eyes.
---
"You're not from this village," Tao said, already analyzing Raiku's movements with eerie calm.
"I'm not," Raiku replied, his voice steady. "But you're hurting people."
"You intend to stop me?"
Raiku took one step forward. "No. I intend to test something."
Tao blinked once.
That was enough warning.
---
Raiku burst forward with speed unexpected from someone with such low apparent power.
He launched a punch — Crater Fang, suppressed to prevent shockwaves. It struck Tao's forearm, sliding off the block. Still, the man's feet slid slightly on the gravel.
His eyes narrowed.
"Your energy... doesn't match your movement."
Raiku didn't respond.
Mirage Talon activated.
Three afterimages burst into being — left, high, low. Tao shifted into a defensive stance, eyes tracking.
He chose wrong.
Raiku slipped under him, tail curling around Tao's ankle.
Moonfang Drop.
A hybrid strike landed square on Tao's chest, knocking the assassin back ten feet. Not enough to injure — but enough to warn.
---
Tao rose, brushing dust from his robe. His fingers touched the scorch on his tunic.
"You suppressed your Ki. Clever."
Raiku said nothing, but his stance shifted again — sharper this time, more composed. He wasn't here to show off. He was here to measure.
And the System pulsed:
> [Lunar Surge Mode: Available]
Activation Recommended – Limited Duration
Output Masking: Partially Lifted (500+ Readout Cap)
Duration: 60 Seconds
Raiku allowed the Ōzaru within to breathe.
His aura shimmered — silver-gray light flickered behind his spine.
For just a moment, Tao felt it.
An ancient beast. Sleeping. Watching.
Tao's jaw tightened.
Raiku spoke now, softly: "You can leave. Or you can see what I really am."
Tao chose silence.
And then… he moved.
---
The fight ignited.
Tao lunged in, swift and sharp — a knife-hand strike aiming for Raiku's throat. Raiku sidestepped, guiding the blow past his jaw, then spun and struck Tao's ribs.
His Iron Pulse Reinforcement reduced recoil.
But Tao adapted fast. His strikes became faster, smarter. He began aiming for Raiku's joints, his tail, his spine.
Raiku responded with Primal Flow Breathing, flowing through hits instead of blocking, minimizing damage.
He returned a Crater Fang blow — this time aimed for the torso.
Tao blocked.
The ground cracked beneath his feet.
For just a second, Tao staggered.
"You—this level of technique doesn't belong on Earth."
Raiku exhaled calmly. "Neither do I."
---
> [Lunar Surge – 0:28 Remaining]
Beast Core Influence: Stable
Mystique Core: 8% – Reacting to Emotional Stabilization
Tao changed tactics.
He flicked a capsule from his belt — a hidden explosive needle, aimed low.
Raiku's Beast Sense Echo flickered on — not fully awakened, but enough.
He jumped before the needle even launched.
He landed behind Tao, spun, and Moonfang Drop connected with the back of Tao's shoulder.
Tao rolled forward, his pink gi now torn across the back.
Raiku stood firm.
Still holding back.
Still suppressing.
---
Tao slowly rose.
"You're not just talented. You're dangerous."
Raiku tilted his head. "Then why are you still standing?"
Tao smirked. "Because you're still holding back."
Raiku said nothing.
The assassin stepped away, his expression neutral again.
"I have what I need. This village isn't my concern anymore."
He turned, walking away as calmly as he'd arrived.
Raiku let him.
Not because he was merciful.
But because it wasn't time yet.
---
The villagers peeked out slowly, watching the stranger with a tail stand motionless under the setting sun.
One old man whispered, "Who… was that child?"
No one answered.
Because they had no idea.
---
That night, Raiku sat quietly beside the lake, dipping his hands into the cold water. Bruises lined his side. His knuckles were raw. But he felt nothing except clarity.
Roshi approached from behind.
"He walked away."
Raiku nodded. "He didn't need to die. Not today."
"He knew you were hiding your strength."
Raiku turned, eyes calm.
"And he'll wonder for the rest of his life just how much I was hiding."
Roshi smiled.
"That," he said, "was the most Saiyan thing you've said all year."
---
> [System Summary – Chapter Completion]
✔ First Major Combat – Survived and Analyzed
✔ All Heavenpiercer Techniques Used (Suppressed Variants)
✔ Mystique Core – 8%
✔ Beast Core Flow – Active
Current Suppression: Restored
Visible Power Level: 83
Hidden Power Level: 6,800
Next Objective: Combat Evolution
Threat Level Expectation: Increasing
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