Severely Wounded

BOOM—!!

Vegeta was slammed into the ground!!

The impact carved out a huge crater, cracks spreading from him like a spiderweb.

A green figure landed beside him.

It was none other than Piccolo!

"Hmph!"

Piccolo snorted.

"Today, I'm going to avenge the dozen or so Namekians who died!"

Vegeta stood up in the crater and looked up at Piccolo before him. A trickle of blood escaped the corner of his mouth, and his expression was grim.

"Didn't you have the Earth Dragon God bring them back to life afterward?!"

Towering over two meters tall, Piccolo looked down at Vegeta. "That was thanks to the Earth Dragon God. It doesn't erase the fact that you slaughtered a dozen of my people!"

"Most importantly, I can't stand you!"

Vegeta glared fiercely at Piccolo. "Don't think you can kill me just because you're stronger than I am right now! I'll make you pay for it, at the very least!"

"Bring it on! Who's afraid of who?!"

BOOM!!

BAM BAM BAM!!

A green figure and a yellow figure clashed in an instant.

They moved so fast that ordinary people couldn't see them with the naked eye!

In just a few short breaths, they had exchanged hundreds of blows.

Vegeta unleashed a punch at Piccolo, carrying a fierce surge of energy. If it landed, it would punch a gaping hole through his body!

But at that moment, a glint flashed in Piccolo's eyes. He simply thrust out his palm and caught the punch head-on!

BAM!!

Piccolo's right arm exploded, blown apart!

Vegeta froze, never expecting Piccolo to take the punch head-on.

That fleeting moment of surprise was all Piccolo needed!

With his other arm, he clenched his hand into a fist and channeled all his energy into it. Carrying an overwhelming force and momentum, he slammed it straight into Vegeta's stomach!

Seeing that he couldn't dodge in time, Vegeta hurriedly concentrated his ki around his stomach!

BOOM BOOM BOOM!!!

Three blows in a row!!

Maybe it was because of the Super Saiyan constitution, or maybe Vegeta had reacted quickly. Either way, his stomach wasn't pierced!

But he was severely wounded!

He spat out several mouthfuls of blood in quick succession.

Seeing that, Piccolo punched Vegeta in the cheek.

BAM!

Vegeta's jaw was dislocated, his teeth flew out, and his whole body shot through the air. He smashed through several mountains before crashing into the ground and blasting out a huge crater!

Piccolo hovered in the sky, quietly watching the crater below. He closed his eyes and sensed Vegeta's faint energy before letting out a long breath.

The knot that had weighed on him all this time had finally come undone.

Piccolo gave a slight shake of his shoulder, and his right arm grew back, whole and uninjured.

Perhaps Kami's memories, merged with his own, had affected him. Or perhaps it was because the knot in his heart had finally been untied. In the end, he still hadn't brought himself to kill Vegeta.

Piccolo shook his head.

Then he turned and left...

"Am I going to die?"

"Maybe that's fine. I've already fulfilled my wish of becoming a Super Saiyan."

"There's just one regret—I never managed to surpass Kakarot and Jiang Ling."

Vegeta's consciousness gradually faded.

After an unknown amount of time,

When he regained consciousness, pain radiated throughout his body.

Vegeta gritted his teeth against the pain and struggled to open his eyes.

A crude wooden ceiling came into view.

There was some simple furniture, too.

As he caught the faint fragrance lingering on the blanket beside him, a question rose in Vegeta's mind.

"Am I not dead? Where am I?"

His whole body felt as if it had fallen apart. He was completely weak, and even the slightest movement hurt terribly.

Just then, a small door opened.

A cute, charming young woman came in.

She wore a long dress, and a wreath woven from flowers rested on her black hair.

When she saw Vegeta awake, delight shone in her bright, clear eyes.

She came to the bedside and crouched down to look at him.

"You're awake!"

"You've been asleep for a whole week. If you'd still had a pulse, I would've thought you weren't going to wake up."

Looking at the young woman before him, Vegeta spoke in a hoarse voice. "Who are you? Why did you save me...?"

"Just call me Xiao Hua. I was out hunting and picking fruit when I saw you lying in a crater, so I brought you back."

Xiao Hua blinked as she spoke.

"Why did you save me?" Vegeta repeated.

"There's no reason. If there's a chance someone can be saved, I'll save them." Xiao Hua smiled, a trace of loneliness in her expression.

"..."

"I didn't need you to save me."

"Why? Why would you give up on your life? Isn't it good to be alive?" Xiao Hua's voice suddenly turned agitated.

"..."

Vegeta looked at her quietly.

For a moment, neither of them spoke.

Grrr~ Grrrr~~

Vegeta's face turned red.

He'd been unconscious for seven days. Of course he was hungry.

Xiao Hua burst into a giggle, covering her mouth with one hand. Her crescent-moon eyes made her look incredibly adorable.

"You're hungry. Have some fruit first."

She brought fruit to Vegeta's mouth one piece at a time.

Seeing Vegeta sit there with a stern expression, she looked puzzled. "Go on, eat. Aren't you hungry?"

In the end, Vegeta couldn't resist the temptation of food. He opened his mouth and let Xiao Hua feed him.

He'd wanted to feed himself, but he couldn't muster any strength at all. His whole body ached.

All he could do was move his mouth while Xiao Hua fed him.

That night, Xiao Hua slept on the floor.

Lying in bed and breathing in the pleasant scent there, Vegeta thought to himself,

"Is this her bed...?"

He stared quietly at the ceiling.

Xiao Hua's words from earlier that day echoed in his mind.

"Isn't it good to be alive? Why give up on your life?"

That was right. Being alive was a wonderful thing.

Early the next morning,

Xiao Hua got up bright and early.

Beneath her black hair, her delicate face wore the sleepy look of someone just out of bed.

Half-lidded with sleep, she got up and began changing Vegeta's bandages as usual.

Vegeta woke with a start. Only then did he realize he wasn't wearing anything. His body was wrapped in bandages, and his Battle Suit was nowhere to be seen.

"Hey! What are you doing?!"

"Changing your bandages! Also, my name is Xiao Hua, not 'hey'!" Xiao Hua replied matter-of-factly.

Vegeta couldn't move, but he could still feel things. As the woman's hands brushed over his skin, an unfamiliar sensation stirred in him.

Then he felt Xiao Hua's hand move toward a certain spot...

"H-hey, you can't touch there... Stop!"

Xiao Hua rolled her eyes. "Why not? I've changed your bandages countless times already. Hm? What's this?"

Vegeta turned his head away, his face red as he muttered, "It's nothing..."

A little while later,

Xiao Hua wiped Vegeta down and put on fresh bandages.

Vegeta's face was red as an apple.

A strange feeling hung in the room for a moment.

"I'm going out to find something to eat."

Xiao Hua said this, then hurried out.