The air around Raditz crystallized under an impossible weight. Raditz screamed, the sound muffled by the pressure. His battle armor cracked instantly, and he slammed, face-first, into the sand. The scouter overloaded and exploded.
Raditz was completely paralyzed, pinned down by the sheer, unyielding presence of Kaito, whimpering in terror.
Kaito stepped toward the defeated Saiyan, his expression hard and cold.
"You've served your purpose," Kaito stated simply, offering no further explanation or warning.
Kaito swiftly brought his heel down with sickening, casual force onto the paralyzed Saiyan's head. The sound was a wet, brittle CRACK. Bone shattered instantly under the pressure, and a spray of grey brain matter and crimson blood erupted onto the pristine white sand. The movement was so fast and the force so absolute that Raditz went instantly limp, his life extinguished without a struggle.
Goku gasped, recoiling violently from the brutal, final act. "Kaito! You killed him!"
"He was an unrepentant killer who would have ended your life and this planet," Kaito replied, completely unfazed by the gore. "He was a complication. I removed him."
Kaito pulled the gruesome corpse from the sand. "Piccolo, destroy the body. Every biological and technological piece must be annihilated."
Piccolo, grim and silent, finished the job. He stepped forward and incinerated the body, along with the bloody patch of sand, with a wide, focused blast, leaving only ash.
The scent of incinerated armor and sand hung heavily in the air. Goku stood frozen, staring at the spot where his brother had been.
Goku took a deep breath, shaking off the shock. He turned toward his friends, forcing a wide, slightly sheepish smile.
"Hey, guys! Sorry about the mess, I know that was pretty intense," Goku said, gesturing to the empty spot. "Everyone, this is Kaito. He's the one who was training me and Piccolo, and he's insanely strong—like, stronger than anyone. He just saved all our lives."
Kaito felt the internal click of a switch. 'What's the point of playing the tragic time traveler when I'm basically a god?' He smiled, a genuine, relaxed smile that instantly changed the atmosphere from icy dread to strange reassurance.
"It's a pleasure," Kaito said, bowing slightly to the group, his eyes lingering for a second on Bulma. "My apologies for the dramatic entrance. I tend to take things a bit too seriously when life-or-death events are involved. But, as Goku said, the immediate danger is over."
He then looked directly at Goku, his expression sobering slightly. "However, I need to be completely clear. Raditz was not alone. Two more Saiyans are coming to this planet, and they are exponentially more dangerous than he was."
Krillin swallowed hard. "Two more? How long do we have?"
"Exactly one Earth year," Kaito confirmed. "And our training must continue and expand." Kaito turned to Goku. "I need to continue training you and Piccolo in the Gravity Chamber. And I need to train Gohan."
Goku nodded instantly. "I agree, he has amazing potential. But the only problem is convincing Chi-Chi. She's completely dedicated to his studies."
Kaito nodded back. "Right. The scholarly hurdle." He paused for a moment, tilting his head as if listening to a faint internal voice.
'System, exchange 100 System Points for 10 million Yen,' Kaito thought.
[...TRANSACTION CONFIRMED: 100 SYSTEM POINTS EXCHANGED FOR 10,000,000 YEN. CURRENT SYSTEM POINTS BALANCE: 900...]
"I think I have a solution for Chi-Chi," Kaito stated, pulling a compact, high-quality leather wallet from an unseen dimensional pocket.
Kaito then addressed Krillin, Roshi, and Yamcha. "I know the Saiyans will primarily be targeting Goku and Piccolo, but the survival of this planet requires everyone at their absolute peak. I need you all to undergo the most rigorous training you can possibly imagine, just in case. Do not rely on us."
The other fighters all nodded, not really having any other options.
"Excellent," Kaito said. "I will gather Piccolo, Goku, and Gohan when it's time to start the advanced training tomorrow morning. Until then, prepare yourselves."
With the instructions given, the group began to break up. Piccolo ascended into the sky with a fierce snarl, needing solitude to process the morning's chaos. Goku gave a wave and flew off toward his home. Krillin settled back onto the Kame House porch with Master Roshi.
Bulma was in the process of putting her small airplane back into a capsule when Kaito approached her. She looked up, pushing a strand of bright blue hair behind her ear.
"You know, for someone who just stopped an alien invasion, you seem pretty calm," Bulma remarked, clipping the capsule onto her belt.
"The threat is delayed, not gone," Kaito replied smoothly. "But I'm actually new to this entire area, and I was thinking of getting a place in the city to set up a sort of base of operations. I don't know the West City layout that well yet. Would you be willing to help me find a decent place?"
Bulma blinked, a look of intrigue replacing her fatigue. "Oh, sure, of course! I'm Bulma, by the way, though I guess you already knew that.....strange," She offered him her hand, which he took firmly. "Hop in—I'll drive you back to the city; it'll only take my plane a couple of hours."
"That's very kind," Kaito said, letting go of her hand. "But I have a faster way."
Bulma looked confused as Kaito gently wrapped one arm behind her back and the other under her knees, lifting her effortlessly into a princess carry.
She yelped in surprise, placing her hands on his chest. "Hey! What are you doing?"
Kaito lifted slightly off the ground. A faint, almost invisible Ki sheen covered them both. "Hold on tight. I need to cover you in my Ki so your body doesn't, well, vaporize. Which way to the city?"
Bulma, slightly dazed and intensely curious, pointed vaguely to the west. "W-west! That way!"
"Right," Kaito said with a grin. He unleashed a minute fraction of his power and vanished.
The experience was less than a thought. The world compressed into a single, blinding flash of color before snapping back into perfect focus. They were now hovering directly above a gigantic yellow dome-like building with CAPSULE CORP written across the top in massive red letters.
Kaito gently descended and placed Bulma down on a rooftop balcony. She stood completely still for a full five seconds, her eyes wide.
"I should be dead. My body should be molecular dust. That was... that was faster than the speed of light. How?"
"I told you, I covered you in my Ki," Kaito said, shrugging, the exertion less than breathing to him. "It acts as a complete inertial dampener. Your technology is brilliant, but mine is based on a slightly different field of physics." He paused. "So, this is the destination?"
"This world is getting crazier and crazier by the second," Bulma muttered, rubbing her eyes. She sighed. "Look, it's getting late. Why don't you just stay here tonight? We can look for a place for you tomorrow. You are training Goku to protect the Earth, after all. It's the least I can do."
"I appreciate that very much, Bulma," Kaito replied.
Bulma guided him through an elaborate, brightly lit corridor and into a spare room that looked like a high-tech studio apartment. "If you need anything, I'm down the hall to the left, then a right, two more lefts, and three rights. Don't worry, you'll find it."
Kaito blinked and nodded as she left. He sat on the incredibly soft bed, laying back and gazing at the ceiling.
'This shit is going to be so fun. My lonely ass might even get a wife...or girlfriend for the first time,' Kaito thought.