The field was scarred, trees splintered, and the earth cratered from their fight. Dust and debris hung thick in the air, swirling with the faint golden glow of Kael's aura. Raditz stood panting, his confidence wavering, a bead of sweat tracing the edge of his scouter. Kael, on the other hand, felt… nothing. The blows Raditz threw would have crushed any ordinary human—but Kael barely flinched. His body absorbed the force as if it were nothing, reinforced by an energy he had learned to sense but never fully understood.
Over the years, Kael had trained quietly with wandering martial artists who passed through his village. They had taught him to sense energy subtly, to feel the flow of power in movement, and to use it to enhance his strikes and speed. He had never called it Ki, never understood its origin, but he knew it existed. It was instinctive now, woven into his body, and it responded automatically to danger. Every punch, every kick, every lunge or dodge felt guided by a deeper wisdom embedded in his cells—a memory of battles he never fought, lessons his mind could not name.
"You… your body… it doesn't even feel pain. You're… invulnerable?" Raditz's voice was a mixture of disbelief and fear.
Kael frowned, surprised by the sensation of shock in his own mind. He had always been strong, fast, and resilient—but realizing that he could take hits without even focusing energy was new. He didn't need to manipulate his energy consciously to resist Raditz's blows. His body itself, enhanced by instinctive power, was naturally impervious. He felt it in every fiber, in every tendon and muscle: an innate harmony, a perfect resonance with the energy of the sun that had nurtured him since birth.
Raditz lunged, a barrage of punches and energy blasts tearing through the air. Kael moved fluidly, instinct guiding him as his body countered each attack with precision. Every strike Raditz launched was met with resistance, not because Kael focused, but because his body adapted automatically. He felt flashes in his mind—memories he didn't recognize, sensations of power and combat that seemed alien yet familiar. These aren't mine… yet somehow they feel like they've always been a part of me.
The earth trembled as their fight escalated. From distant hills and mountaintops, the pulse of Kael's energy radiated outward. The villagers at a safe distance could feel the vibrations, but so too could others far beyond the valley. In a secluded forest, a lone observer stiffened, sensing a force so intense it pressed against the very air. What… what is that? His voice was tight with tension, though he didn't understand the origin of the presence. Even the winds themselves seemed to shiver, carrying whispers of a power that had never existed in this world before.
"You… you're not just a Saiyan!" Raditz shouted, stepping back, eyes wide. "Your power… it's… beyond anything I've seen!"
Kael's golden eyes glimmered as he raised his fists, sending a wave of energy with a single motion that threw Raditz several meters back. Trees splintered, earth exploded outward, and Kael barely noticed the force of his own attack. His senses were alive, the golden light from his chest symbol flickering faintly like a heartbeat. He was learning in real time, each movement instinctively perfect, his body reacting before his mind could even process.
Raditz struggled to his feet, disbelief etched across his face. "No Saiyan adapts mid-fight like this… and you didn't even have to focus your energy consciously!"
Kael's chest heaved. He didn't know why his body moved this way, why it adapted, or what these vague flashes meant. This energy… it's part of me, but it feels bigger… older. Am I… meant to be like this? All he knew was that he was stronger, faster, and more resilient than anything he had ever encountered. He had protected his father, endured strikes that would have killed others, and instinctively countered an opponent far more experienced.
Raditz's glare burned into him, frustration and disbelief mingling. "What… what are you?"
Kael had no answer. Only instinct, only certainty: he was no longer the boy who quietly sparred in the village. He was something new, something beyond limits, and the universe had just begun to witness what that truly meant.
Even from afar, the tremors of Kael's awakening energy reached those attuned to subtle forces. A sense of awe and unease spread like a shiver through the landscape. Something enormous… something alive… whispered the air itself. Eyes widened, hearts raced, and the world seemed to hold its breath at the emergence of a force it could not yet name.