Warrior Instincts
Ch. 20: Demons and Monsters; Kakarot vs King Piccolo!
::
The sight that greeted Kakarot as he descended from the sky was one that pushed his young face into a heavy mask of cold, dark fury.
Bulma's top was torn to shreds, revealing streaks of her soft pale skin, and while there didn't seem to be any open wounds Kakarot could still make out faded bruises near the girl's ribs.
Those eyes that seemed to outshine the clearest ocean stared up at him filled with hope and joy were tinted in a fear that stoked Kakarot's rising anger even further.
His feet didn't touch the ground as the warrior came face-to-face with who he could only assume was King Piccolo, rather the tips of his boots hovered inches above soft grass while Kakarot glared into the face of evil.
"With ears like yours I know you heard me, so could it be that the mighty Piccolo has a death wish?"
Mouth twitching with amusement, the scourge of Earth scoffed at his newest foe's challenge.
"Funny, I could ask you the same thing. What sort of fool must you be, to oppose me so openly when I've already laid waste to so many of your kind?"
Kakarot sucked his teeth at the accusation, dropping his hands to his sides as he stared up at the giant green menace.
"And did you succeed by talking them to death? Because so far your voice is the only thing I find so agonizing about the great Piccolo Daimao."
Noticing the vein that bulged from his enemy's forehead seconds later put a smile on Kakarot's face, even as the villainous fiend snarled down at him.
"You've got a pretty big mouth for such a little pest," loosening his claws, Piccolo dropped Bulma to the ground before cracking his knuckles with a sneer.
"I like to talk," Kakarot shrugged, "it's part of my charm."
"It's going to get you killed, if you're not careful, boy."
The lust for battle gave young eyes an excited glow.
"Maybe, but against you? I think I'll take my chances~"
Fangs gnashed together as a pointed nose flared and more veins began to pop against a thick, green neck.
"Impudent little brat! Now you've done it!"
A flash of red was the only warning, yet Kakarot's hand swatted Piccolo's eye beams skyward before they could reach him as an outstretched palm stopped the mouth-blast that immediately followed.
"I really hope that's not all you've got, because if it is you'd better quit."
As his enemy roared, Kakarot managed to catch a glimpse of Bulma dragging Yamcha into the safety of the stadium's shadows before he was dashing backwards to avoid being speared.
There was no denying the lethal point of those claws as they came slicing through the air in a mad attempt to pierce their enemy's heart, but Piccolo's frustrations spiked with every strike dodged.
'The fucking brat doesn't even look like he's breaking a sweat!'
Indeed, Kakarot hadn't lost the smirk on his face even as he spun around Piccolo's roundhouse-kick, if anything each attack the spiky-haired warrior danced around only seemed to strengthen that smug fire behind his eyes.
A fire Piccolo wanted to stamp out permanently.
"Now that's a neat trick," Kakarot mused as he watched his foe stretch his arm, "but you'll need to do better than that!"
The vile monster's goblin-like face twisted into a mask of malicious glee.
"I did!"
It was like the strike of a cobra, swift and decisive, and in a blink Kakarot found himself wrapped up in his enemy's muscled flesh as if he were a rat.
"Nowhere for you to run to now; it's over!"
The taste of dirt was something Kakarot wasn't used to, and as he found himself being smashed against the stadium grounds the monkey-tailed boy found it to be a flavour he didn't care for.
But the last straw came when Piccolo drew him in to smash his large fist into the younger fighter's face.
"Hrgh!"
"Not so tough when you can't fly around, are you!"
Those calloused fingers spread, and closed back around Kakarot's face as their owner began to call upon the well of ki deep within.
"I'll admit that you were a bit stronger than the rest of those pitiful humans, but my power is beyond any of your kind, no matter what silly little tricks you've learned!"
The heat of Piccolo's incoming attack began to warm his captive's skin, while the boy's nose wrinkled under the stench of blood and decay. But Kakarot didn't panic. Instead, the young fighter brought his thumb up and pressed hard into Piccolo's wrist, channeling ki just under the skin for an added bit of power.
The result was…
SQUELCH
"AAARGH!"
...bloody.
Kakarot ignored the dripping mask of purple life force covering his face in favor of watching as the 'Demon King' howled in agony. A vicious grin found its way back to Kakarot's lips, his fangs gleaming under the midday sun, as Piccolo clutched desperately at the gushing stump that used to be his hand.
"Oh~ I'm sorry, I guess I just don't know my own strength yet~"
"You! You filthy creature; I'll make you pay dearly for this!"
"Well, you'll probably want to summon one of your spawn to help with that, because it looks to me like you could really use a hand!"
The spiky-haired alien's cackle echoed through the empty stadium and filled Piccolo's pointy ears as he seethed against the unimaginable agony surging from his wrist. Listening to the monkey-tailed boy's mocking laughter flooded Piccolo's blood with wrathful fire, and he began to draw forth a hefty load of energy before sending it into his wound.
"You think this is funny, boy!? Just wait! I'll show you exactly why this entire planet fears the very mention of my name! HARGH!"
Coal-black eyes widened as Kakarot's laughter stopped.
"What the-!"
There was a sickening, slimy noise next that was followed quickly by a fully functioning hand sprouting from where the Demon King's last one had been. Kakarot wrinkled his nose at the stench in the air, yet couldn't help being impressed with Piccolo's abilities as the green giant rolled his wrist and flexed all five fingers.
"You're a crafty one, that's for sure kid. But all you've done is delay the inevitable."
"Feh, you've talked a big game, but weren't you just the one who had to regrow their own hand? I think the 'might' of King Piccolo has been exaggerated; You're hardly even a warm-up. Now hurry up and show me something interesting, or I'll blast you into oblivion for boring me."
Large, yellow eyes narrowed as their owner sneered at the monkey-tailed fighter. However, Piccolo didn't attack just yet. A sharp pain nagged at the villain's heart, and he did his best to take slow, deep breaths in an effort to quell it before making another move.
'I'll need to be careful, I can't risk too many more regenerations.'
Unfortunately, Kakarot wasn't interested in waiting, and the boy blew out a sigh before rocketing through the air.
"Fine then! If you're not gonna get the party started, I'll just come to you!"
Piccolo snarled, and plunged deep within to call forth every last ounce of power he had before an invigorating rush flooded the fiend's veins, reminiscent of Shenron restoring his youth.
The surge of power caught Kakarot's attention, but the younger warrior brushed it off as he continued his charge, fully committed to act.
"Ha!"
Closing the gap in a blink, the orphaned alien let out a yell, as his fist flew like a bullet-train intent on running Piccolo through…
SMACK
...and smashing against the green giant's palm.
The vibrations ran through Kakarot's body and sent a shockwave across the stadium, leaving behind a small crater in their wake as Piccolo grinned maliciously at his foe.
Eyes like coal watched their enemy's skin darken, resembling an emerald, while thick crimson lines seemed to bleed out underneath the Demon King's own sickly yellow orbs, and his patches of pink flesh morphed to a neon-blue.
A chuckle filled the air; cold and dark. And Piccolo slowly squeezed his fingers around Kakarot's smaller hand while baring fangs that gleamed under the sun.
"I hope that's not all you've got...if it is, you'd better quit~"
::
Nostrils flaring, the younger fighter had no time to retort before he was sent flying back from a blow to the face.
There wasn't any time to recover before Piccolo was on him again, grabbing Kakarot's gi and hurling the boy into the sky with a hearty roar.
'D-Damn it, what the hell did he do to become so fast!?'
POW
"Hargh!"
The breath flew from Kakarot's lungs as he found his enemy's fist buried in his stomach, only for the pain to multiply with Piccolo's knuckles slapping across the boy's face.
"Ah!"
"Where do you think you're going!?"
Crushing force wrapped around a small ankle, and Kakarot was lurched backward before his foe dropped an elbow into the young fighter's gut.
Falling like a rock, Kakarot tried to fight through the thundering agony beating behind his eyes, but any thought of recovery went up in flames as King Piccolo began to send a volley of ki-blasts raining down.
"You wanted to see my true power kid!? Well, here it is, how's this for a warm-up!?"
The first shot sent Kakarot crashing into the ruined stadium grounds before every blast that followed smashed against him with the heat of a small sun. Tearing apart his uniform and scorching the boy's skin, anyone who could see inside the blinding light would be a spectator to Kakarot flopping against the earth like a fish out of water before Piccolo ended his assault.
As the dust settled and a clear view could be seen, crystal-blue eyes were brimming with tears and their owner struggled to breath at the sight of earth's only hope lying lifelessly in the dirt.
"G-Goku...Goku no!"
"B-Bulma, don't he'll kill you!"
But the heiress to Capsule Corp didn't listen, choosing instead to rush out onto the ruined field and drop to her knees by her best friend's side.
"No. No, no, no this can't be happening; not again! Goku, come on, please get up! I need you!"
Cradling him in her arms, Bulma let her own pain show itself as it cascaded down the girl's cheeks. Broken sobs echoed in the silence louder than any drum, and despite trying to choke back the agony Bulma found she simply could not keep her body from shaking.
And then, she heard him.
"You should have warned your friend against fighting me, human. I would have killed him eventually, but at least that way he wouldn't have had to die so soon. Now, stand aside, it's time I finish off the little fool."
The girl's beautiful face twisted into a snarl, wrinkling her nose and baring a set of white teeth, before she pulled a single handgun from its holster at her hip and aimed straight at Piccolo.
"No! Stay back! I won't let you kill him!"
"Feh, you can't possibly think that pathetic little weapon will work on me a second time? Stupid girl, I am the most powerful being in the universe, the Lord of Darkness and bringer of death! I could take your head from your shoulders before you even had time to fire that hunk of human garbage! Now, stand aside, or else!"
"You're just gonna kill me anyway, right!? So go ahead, do it! But it'll be a cold day in hell before I just stand back and watch while you kill Goku!"
Piccolo's goblin-like face was overcome with a mask of disgust at how much raw, human emotion was on display. He spat, desperate to rid himself of the sour taste it left on his tongue, before stretching out a single palm and gathering energy from within.
"Fine! If that's the way you want it, I'll just kill you both! Stupid human; I'd forgotten all about you too. You could have escaped, you could have lived, but instead you'd rather die in a pathetic show of 'feelings'!"
"Screw you!"
BAM BAM BAM
Again and again, Bulma's finger pulled the trigger on her modified Glock 19, unloading a full clip even as she watched the bullets bounce off Piccolo's chest.
But the second her weapon was empty, Bulma laid the unconscious alien youth back into the dirt and rushed to stand, spreading both arms wide even as tears continued to stream over rosy cheeks.
Blue stared into yellow, human against a demon, and neither one noticed Kakarot's eyelids flutter.
"I hope you enjoyed your last breath human, because now it's time to send you and that little brat straight to hell!"
To her credit, Bulma never bothered to close her eyes as Piccolo's overwhelming energy blast came down on her and the boy she was trying to protect. Capsule Corp's heiress stood tall, with a straight back, and let the burning heat fall upon her pale skin.
Flickers of a rustic orange blipped at the corner of Bulma's vision, but she just chalked it up to delirium brought on by impending doom, or even effects from just how hot Piccolo's attack was…
WHOOM
SMASH
Until the flaming ball of ki was stopped short by an energy field.
Made up of that almost burnt orange color from before, the sphere seemed to wrap all the way around her and easily blocked King Piccolo's energy blast, leaving the ball of death to sit in midair before finally fizzling out.
"W-What the-!"
'No, that's impossible! No one could have survived that!'
His opponent rose from his intended grave without moving a muscle, floating straight up onto his feet with dark bangs hovering over closed eyes.
Piccolo felt a knot form in his stomach as he stared down at Kakarot, the boy's torso barely hidden beneath tattered shreds of a gray compression shirt, revealing wounds that seemed to heal near instantaneously under hissing trails of smoke.
Yet, it was as the younger fighter opened his eyes that Piccolo Daimao experienced true fear for the first time in his entire life.
Burning like molten amber and filled to the brim with a primal fury unlike any he had ever seen, it was as if Kakarot's gaze had frozen every muscle in Piccolo's body.
"This kid...h-he's not human."
::
"Wah!"
Bulma didn't even have the chance to turn around before she was knocked off her feet by the backdraft of Kakarot launching himself off the ground.
His ears echoed with the girl's wail, but the warrior's lust for battle narrowed his focus to the green giant in the sky, turning everything to shapeless, colorless blobs as he soared into battle with only one thought; to kill.
"RARGH!"
The smell was different, but there was no mistaking that purple ooze that gushed under Kakarot's fist as it slammed against Piccolo's pointed nose.
Those large, yellow eyes lost focus just for a moment before shutting tight while their owner was sent flying through the air. There was hardly even time for the villainous fiend to notice he'd crashed through a skyscraper before powerful fingers squeezed down in his bald head.
"NRGAH!"
"GAHRGH!"
Kakarot's knee had barely moved back from Piccolo's face before the boy fired a powerful, violet energy blast directly into the green giant's chest.
But this time, Earth's scourge had a scant few seconds to breathe, and he used those precious moments to get his bearings just as a snarling Kakarot was coming in for another attack.
"I don't think so, not this time!"
He ducked under a clothesline meant for his throat, and slid into the raging boy's guard quick enough to land a side-kick that pushed him back enough for Piccolo to regain a sense of footing.
"I'll kill you!"
Kakarot twirled around his foe's neon-red eye beams as he flew back into the fight, leaning back from being sliced by razor-sharp claws and using the momentum to wheel into a back-flip kick.
"Not good enough," Piccolo boasted, even as he felt the tip of his enemy's boot graze his chin.
WHAM
"Rah!"
The villain's next attack was a quick shot of ki from the palm, its force sent Kakarot crashing through another building before he flipped himself right-side-up, though his enemy seemed to have vanished!
Nostrils flaring and ears strained, Kakarot's snagging spikes whipped through the air as he searched for Piccolo with ever-growing blood lust.
ZIP
Throwing his hand up, the alien warrior swatted two more eye beams away as they rushed him from the side, but as Kakarot turned to face his opponent he found that the tyrant had vanished.
Kakarot's fury only increased again, as he was forced to duck and deflect numerous attempts at frying him from afar, until the boy grew tired of games and roared into the sky.
Throwing a hand up, palm towards the heavens, he let out a single grunt before firing an endless barrage of ki-blasts into the atmosphere.
'Now what's the fool doing?'
Hidden from view, Piccolo could only wonder as to what his enemy's plan might be...before both eyes bulged and all breath was stolen.
"I-Impossible!"
The blasts curved, and came down like a storm of death, falling from the endless blue like meteors!
There was no escape.
By the time it was over, there was nothing left of the city. Only a long, flat wasteland stretched as far as the eye could see.
Yet, the consequences of his actions couldn't register with Kakarot as he found himself staring down the fool who'd dared to challenge him.
'Kill'
That single mantra filled his brain, pushed him forward, and gave him the fuel to fight on.
Piccolo stared as the monkey-tailed boy floated towards him, lack of height counting for nothing in just how menacing he appeared against such a backdrop of pure destruction.
The Demon King scoffed though, seeing nothing but contempt and an urge to kill swimming in the depths of those amber pools.
"Heh, you hate me for what I've done, but look around boy! This city was destroyed by your hand; not mine."
Kakarot just ignored him; memories of the Dragon Balls, and their power, filtering at the back of his mind. Any and all damage could be reversed, so long as Piccolo paid for laying hands on Bulma and defying him that was all that mattered.
This decision seemed to be worn on Kakarot's face, as the Demon King found himself growling when his enemy made no notion of caring about the villain's taunts.
"Fine, if that's the way you want it, then let's see how you feel about this!"
Piccolo rushed the boy, eyes gleaming with hatred. Dropping low, he faked a knife-strike and came up for an uppercut.
"Pathetic."
Leaning back, Kakarot lifted his arm to block Piccolo as he spun into an aerial roundhouse-kick, before taking him by the leg and tossing him aside.
That guttural tone left a pit in the Demon King's stomach, but he didn't let it stop him as he pushed off the ground and came rushing back for another round.
"I'm not finished yet, boy!"
WHAM
In the air, Kakarot was at the perfect height for Piccolo's fist to smash against his face, but the boy hardly moved an inch, and those mocking amber eyes stared into shocked yellow from beyond the giant's knuckles.
"You're not," small fingers wrapped around a larger green wrist, "but I am; this is beginning to bore me."
The sense of dejavu was lost in a sea of unimaginable agony, as Piccolo Daimao's entire right arm was ripped from its socket in an instant.
"AAAARGH!"
A fountain of purple blood poured from the opening while Earth's scourge fell to his knees. Dark, emerald skin began to grow pale, returning to lime as both red streaks beneath Piccolo's tightly shut eyes vanished without a trace.
Looking down at the once proud Demon King, Kakarot couldn't help but chuckle.
"So then, this is the extent of your power, hmm? Such a shame. I was hoping that you'd prove to be a worthy test for my own new strength, but it seems that'll have to wait. I suppose though, if you begged, I might spare your pathetic life. There's no one else on this planet who could challenge me now, and it'd be a waste to lose such a fun punching bag~"
The horrible feeling of losing his arm, and loss of blood was beginning to make Piccolo's head swim, but even as he sensed the slowing of his own black heart the villain found enough strength to laugh.
"Y-You think that you've beaten me...but I've already won. I could see it in your eyes; you think the Eternal Dragon will undo all that's been done. That Shenron will return your woman to you, but you're wrong."
Piccolo lifted his head high, relishing the growing spark of denial and horror that flickered behind those once arrogant eyes.
"I killed the dragon after he restored my youth, you fool! The Dragon Balls have turned to stone, and with their power gone the world will forever be scarred by my reign; none shall forget the dreadful might of King Piccolo! And that little wench will float forever in oblivion!"
Kakarot's eyes returned to normal now, and his face became a mask of terror as he listened to the last words of a dying monster.
"No...no, you're lying!"
Piccolo sneered, his goblin-like features stretched to the limit in malicious glee.
"My only regret is that I won't be there when you fly back and learn the truth for yourself; that it was you who killed her! Your little 'rainstorm' surely vaporized every inch of that girl's body, I can almost imagine what it must have been like to hear her scream!"
The spine-chilling laughter that then echoed over the wasteland was ignored, as a distraught Kakarot launched into the air and sped off towards where he'd left Bulma during the battle.
But, with his mind fragmented by images of the blue-haired beauty lying dead in the ground somewhere, Kakarot failed to hear his foe's final words.
"But where I failed," Piccolo struggled to choke back a mouthful of blood, "my son shall succeed. And through him, my vengeance will be complete!"
He could feel the icy hand of death gripping tighter now, squeezing out every last drop of life that remained; he needed to hurry.
Pooling together the last embers of his power, the egg was formed quickly and rose up out of Piccolo's stomach before pushing past the fiend's throat.
"Blah!"
As sweat trickled down and stung his eyes, the Demon King watched with a wicked grin as his final spawn went flying through the air. Satisfaction and relief soon washed over the tyrant then, and in his final moments Piccolo allowed himself one last laugh.
"Soon my son, you shall show them all true despair, and I will have my revenge."
xXx
Gone. It was all gone.
No buildings, no trees, not even the road had survived; there was nothing.
And it was all his fault.
Sinking to his knees as the reality of what he'd done began to set in, Kakarot's fingers dug deep into the earth as hot tears welled in the corners of his eyes.
He'd followed her scent, still lingering even after so much destruction, and found the stadium to be nothing but another slate of empty space. There wasn't even a stitch of clothing left behind. He began tearing up.
"Bulma...I'm so sorry."
Teeth gnashing, Kakarot slammed his fists against the ground and ignored how spiderweb cracks splintered out from underneath.
"I was trying to save you, trying to keep him from hurting you, but all I did was get caught up in my own lust for blood again...only now it's cost me my only friend." He cried.
The howling winds were all that comforted him, and in his grief Kakarot failed to sense anyone approaching until they spoke.
"Indeed; what good is all that power if you can't control it?"
Kakarot's body tensed and moved faster than lightning, yet his energy blast was deflected by a wooden staff just as quickly.
Dust swirled around pointed ankle boots, ruffled robes gave off the scent of fresh rain and rippled a wide-brimmed hood.
"Who the hell are you!? How did you survive my attack!?"
"Well now, it helps that I wasn't actually in the city when you destroyed it, Kakarot."
The voice was low, and every word seemed as though it were run through a mixer of gravel. But all that mattered was that, whoever this was, they seemed fit to remind Kakarot of his mistake.
"Shut up! What do you know about it!? You have no idea what that bastard was about to do to Bulma; I had to do something!"
"You did, but then you allowed yourself to lose control, and you became no better than Piccolo. You became...a monster."
"Enough!"
Fingers gripping the front of this stranger's robes, Kakarot raised his other hand, and began to build up a vibrant purple ki blast.
"You're gonna tell me who you are, and what you want with me, or you'll be joining that fucking goblin in hell!"
A chuckle was his response.
"It seems I owe an old friend a new bottle of sake; Saiyans apparently can't read. My symbol should have given me away immediately."
Dark eyes stared, furious, into the shadows of that hood for another minute before flickering down to look at the Kanji stamped at the center of this stranger's outfit.
What Kakarot found stole all strength from his fist, and he dropped the hooded man as he discovered who he'd been talking to…
"Kami?"
"At your service."
"...Why? What are you doing here; why now?"
"Divine intervention. My job is to help keep the balance, to watch over Earth, but because of my own wishes Piccolo was allowed to roam free in the first place. Now, so many people have suffered, and I need to fix it."
Kakarot's eyes narrowed, and his head tilted.
"Really? And how do you intend to do that; he told me he destroyed Shenron. No more dragon, means no more wishes."
He could hear the grin under that hood at Kami's next words.
"Then it's a good thing I'm their creator, hmm? Come back to the Lookout with me, and I'll have Bulma returned to you within the hour."
"And what will you want from me, for her life?"
"That's quite simple, Kakarot. I want your help."
The young alien scoffed, folding his arms as he dropped to the ground.
"With what; Piccolo is dead. How else could I help the guardian of Earth now? Besides, aren't you supposed to be the good guy; why are you bargaining like the devil?"
"Because there is an even greater threat coming on the horizon, and I need you to be ready for it Kakarot. The friend I mentioned before will help train you, make you stronger, so that when the time comes you'll have the power to keep Bulma safe without losing control."
Reaching out his hand, the hooded stranger revealed a set of claws that peaked out from under billowing sleeves.
"Even if she is all you care for on this planet, it's enough for me so long as your desire to protect her keeps Earth safe as well."
It was only after a moment of mulling this over, that Kakarot nodded and gripped Kami's sleeve.
"You'd better keep your word," he warned as they both vanished in a blinding light.
xXx
As it turned out, the rebirth of Shenron was a much more boring affair than Kakarot would have expected.
"So the dragon of legend is just some silly little statue you made because you were lonely?"
"A crude summary, but yes. Although originally, making shenron and the balls took considerable time and effort. Lucky for you, my powers have grown far beyond what they were when I was a boy."
Kakarot eyed the new set of wish granting orbs, and rolled his eyes.
"It's the planet that should feel lucky," he whispered coldly. The boy missed how Kami's hold on his staff tightened.
"The dragon's power will be increased as well now; Shenron will grant two wishes instead of just one."
If the young warrior heard any undertone of stress in Kami's voice, he didn't show it, choosing instead to focus on what was coming next.
"So that's it, right? I can make my wishes now?"
"Whenever you're ready, yes."
Kakarot chuckled, "You don't need to tell me twice. Now outta the way, I doubt Bulma wants to be dead any longer than she has been."
Earth's savior had never actually seen the Eternal Dragon, but as he watched clouds darken and a blinding yellow light shoot up into the sky, he'd secretly admit the spectacle was impressive.
For Kami, seeing his creation returned to normal was a weight lifted off the guardian's shoulders.
'There's no telling how much more negative energy the dragon could have absorbed. I only hope that, after this, the balls can rest for at least ten years.'
Without being a mind reader there was no way for Kakarot to know about Kami's fears, rather the boy was more focused on making his wishes to Shenron.
"If I don't bring back everyone then Bulma's only gonna be even more upset with me, so I wish for all those who died during my battle with King Piccolo to be brought back to life!"
He watched the dragon's eyes flash and felt the wind pick up, before a moment later Shenron let Kakarot know that his wish had indeed been granted.
What came next however, dropped Kami's jaw to the floor.
"My second wish...is to bring Bulma here, to the Lookout!"
"Kakarot, no!"
"It shall be done…"
Kami jerked the young warrior around by the shoulder, his large yellow eyes wide with disbelief as he gaped at the boy.
"What did you do!? What about all those killed before your battle!?"
Kakarot pulled himself free, and glared into the guardian's hood.
"What about them? They aren't my concern, Guardian of Earth; I didn't kill them. If you're so worried about them, wish them back on your own time."
Kami's staff splintered under his grip.
"You know that I can't."
"Then I guess, those people are going to have to get used to the afterlife, hmm? Now, if you'll excuse me…"
There was a bright whirlwind of lights, like something out of a dream, shards of diamond that revealed a face Kakarot worried he would never see again.
And for the first time, there was a true beat of feeling deep within his heart.
xXx