"You heard me. I'm in a hurry, so come at me with everything you've got."
"Haah--!!!"
Nail let out a low shout, and white energy erupted around him!
The powerful surge of energy made the ground beneath their feet tremble slightly.
Knowing what kind of opponent he was facing, Nail didn't dare hold anything back. He went all out from the very first move!
His figure suddenly blurred, turning into a streak of white light as he charged at Vitelli at astonishing speed!
Fists, feet, elbows, knees... Every part of his body became a deadly weapon, unleashing a storm of attacks at Vitelli with a series of sharp whooshes!
Yet, faced with this frenzied onslaught, Vitelli didn't even move his feet.
He simply raised the index finger of his right hand, calm and composed.
Thud! Smack! Thud! Thud!
A dense series of crisp impacts rang out. Every one of Nail's ferocious attacks, powerful enough to split mountains and shatter rocks, was precisely blocked by that seemingly slender finger!
That finger seemed to contain boundless strength and absolute precision. Each light touch perfectly disrupted the strongest point of force behind Nail's attacks.
Nail's expression changed at once, and cold sweat began to bead on his forehead.
He could feel every attack of his slamming into an invisible, indestructible wall, its force easily dispelled--
The recoil even left his arms tingling.
"Unbelievable... You're using just one finger?!"
Nail's heart was thrown into turmoil.
Just one measly finger, and my attacks can't do a thing?! Is this... is this the power of a god?!
A deep sense of frustration and unwillingness welled up inside him, but his pride as a warrior wouldn't let him admit defeat just like that.
He abruptly stopped his nearly useless assault at close range, using the force of one collision to flip backward several times and put plenty of distance between himself and Vitelli.
After landing steadily on both feet, Nail quickly brought his hands together in front of his chest.
Pale purple energy gathered at a rapid pace, radiating dazzling light and astonishing waves of energy!
He was clearly planning to use his most powerful ki blast to decide the outcome!
Vitelli saw his stance and shook his head slightly, a hint of helplessness in his voice.
"Honestly, I don't know how much force I should use to knock you back without hurting you. If you do get hurt, I apologize."
As he spoke, he remained as relaxed as ever, simply aiming his raised index finger at Nail, who was charging up. The energy gathering around him had made his face flush red.
A small white ki blast, no bigger than a ping-pong ball and seemingly unremarkable, quietly appeared at Vitelli's fingertip.
At the same time, Nail's finishing move was ready!
"Please be careful, Lord Vitelli! My strongest attack, Burst Impact Wave!!!"
Nail roared as he unleashed all his ki without holding anything back. A massive beam of purple energy surged toward Vitelli, carving a deep trench through the ground in its path!
Faced with this imposing attack, Vitelli merely flicked his finger.
Whoosh--!
The tiny white ki blast shot out silently, heading straight for Nail's all-out attack, powerful enough to destroy a small planet.
The next moment, Nail was left gaping in disbelief!
The instant the little white ki blast made contact with the enormous purple beam, it didn't get erased. Instead, it effortlessly ripped through the middle of Nail's attack!
The white ki blast surged upstream without losing any speed!
The purple energy beam crumbled and vanished wherever it passed. With an utterly unreasonable force, the little blast completely overwhelmed and pierced through it!
"Nani?!"
Nail's pupils contracted, disbelief written all over his face.
He strained with all his might to keep pouring out energy, but soon realized it was completely futile!
The destructive power contained in that tiny ki blast was so ferocious that it was beyond belief, far outside the bounds of anything he could understand!
When Vitelli saw that Nail wasn't dodging and was still trying to take the attack head-on, he was dumbfounded.
He hurriedly shouted, "Hey! Are you an idiot? Move! You can't just take that thing head-on!"
But Nail clenched his teeth and unleashed every last bit of his remaining ki, actually intending to hold out to the bitter end!
"Urrrghhhhh--!"
Nail let out a desperate roar, putting everything he had into it.
Under his despairing gaze...
Boom--!!!!!!
A thunderous explosion erupted, making the entire plain tremble violently!
A violent shockwave spread in an instant, sending dust and rubble billowing into the sky!
When the dust began to settle, a massive crater more than several hundred meters across and seemingly bottomless had appeared where Nail had been standing.
The crater's edge formed a perfect circle, as if a small planet had struck it head-on.
Scorching waves of heat continued to roll up from its depths, distorting the air around it.
Vitelli's heart sank. He had a very bad feeling about this.
He hurriedly flashed to the crater's edge and peered down, but thick smoke and rising heat still obscured the bottom, leaving him unable to see anything.
"Whoosh--!"
Vitelli anxiously blew out a breath. A powerful gust instantly swept away all the smoke and dust inside the crater.
The scene at the bottom came into clear view--
Half of Nail's body was buried deep in the scorching earth. His exposed upper body was charred black, and the two arms he'd used to desperately defend himself were completely gone! Only charred marks remained around his shoulders.
His eyes were shut, and his breathing was so faint that he was barely alive. It looked as if he might die at any moment!
"Oh no!"
Vitelli's expression changed, and he frantically rummaged through the pockets of his Battle Suit.
"Where are the Senzu Beans?! Where did I put them?!"
Supreme Kai Shin came over too. Seeing Nail's pitiful state at the bottom of the crater, he looked shocked and pained.
Though he hadn't fully trusted Vitelli, he knew that Namekians were a peace-loving people. He couldn't stand by and do nothing while one of them lay dying after a sparring match.
"Kibito!" Shin called.
"Yes, Supreme Kai!"
Kibito immediately understood. The two of them jumped into the crater at the same time.
Shin used a trace of his divine power to carefully "pull" Nail out of the scorching earth and stones.
Kibito assisted him, and together they carried the barely breathing Nail back to the edge of the crater, laying him down beside Vitelli.
Seeing Nail's faint breathing and nearly imperceptible signs of life, Vitelli finally found a Senzu Bean in his pocket. He quickly crouched down, pried open Nail's mouth, and slipped it inside.
"Please, let this work... Otherwise, I'll wake up in the middle of the night just to call myself a damn fool."
Vitelli watched anxiously. Only after he saw Nail's throat move slightly and the bean go down did he breathe a sigh of relief.
It was usually fine for someone to get hurt during a sparring match. But if he'd actually killed someone by accident, even someone as merciless toward his enemies as Vitelli would have been filled with guilt.
Fortunately, the Senzu Bean took effect at once.
Nail's severe injuries healed at a visible speed, and his charred skin quickly peeled away and regenerated.
More miraculously, new flesh wriggled frantically around his severed shoulders. In just a few breaths, two brand-new arms had grown back, restoring him to factory condition!
"Cough! Cough, cough!"
Nail coughed sharply and opened his eyes. Instinctively, he sprang to his feet in one fluid motion.
He flexed his new arms, his face filled with shock and bewilderment.
Only then did Vitelli let out a long breath, finally easing his anxious heart.
Then he said to Nail, not at all pleased, "You could've dodged that just now! Why didn't you? I was holding back, but that still wasn't something you could take head-on!"
A look of shame appeared on Nail's face. He was silent for a moment before finally speaking, his voice complicated.
"I don't know... It's just... At the time, a voice kept telling me that if I wanted to get stronger and truly protect Namek, then when facing a power I couldn't resist, I could fail. I could even die. But I couldn't lose the courage to face it... And then I... I..."
He didn't seem to know how to describe that impulse.
Vitelli listened, feeling a little helpless. He couldn't help grumbling to himself.
Are you trying to cosplay Zoro or something?
But looking at Nail's ashamed expression and stubborn warrior's resolve, Vitelli couldn't bring himself to scold him again.
He could only sigh and shake his head.
"Honestly, what a mess! What even is this..."
He quickly walked over to Whis, who was still watching the show and eating snacks, then said to Supreme Kai Shin and his guard, Kibito:
"Come on. Put your hands on Whis's shoulder. We should get going."
Supreme Kai Shin seemed lost in thought over Nail's words about "getting stronger and protecting others," a contemplative look on his face.
Seeing this, Kibito, who stood at his side, quickly reminded him in a low voice, "Supreme Kai."
Shin came back to himself. He looked at Nail with a complicated expression, then at Vitelli, before stepping forward with Kibito to place his hand on Whis's shoulder.
Vitelli turned to Nail, who still seemed to be savoring the brief but deeply moving battle.
"I owe you and your people a favor for this. If your Namek ever faces an enemy you can't resist in the future, you can call Whis's name out loud. He'll inform me. When that happens, I'll step in and help you once."
Whis smiled and nodded, then added, "Informing you won't be a problem, Vitelli-san. As for the price... How about a good roast beef dinner? Three times the usual portion, of course~"
Vitelli was speechless. He was completely at a loss when it came to this gluttonous angel, who was always thinking about food.
"Deal!"
He replied, sounding less than pleased.
A dazzling streak of light flashed. Whis tapped his Scepter against the ground, and the group vanished from the plain on Namek in an instant.
Nail was left alone on the plain, the massive crater still behind him.
He stared with a complicated expression at the place where they had disappeared. The pride he'd once felt as "Namek's strongest warrior" had nearly vanished.
The powerlessness he'd felt against that finger, that tiny ki blast... It had left a deep impression on him.
Just then, the Grand Elder's aged, gentle voice suddenly sounded in Nail's mind.
"Nail."
Nail immediately composed himself. He closed his eyes and respectfully answered in his mind.
"Yes, Grand Elder. What do you need?"
"Don't be too discouraged, my child."
The Grand Elder's voice was comforting.
"You must understand that throughout the vast, boundless universe, there are countless planets, and the number of powerful beings born on them is beyond counting. You are still very young, and you have a long road ahead of you. As long as you train diligently and keep surpassing yourself, one day you will become even stronger than you are now."
Nail opened his eyes. The confusion and dejection in them gradually gave way to a determined light.
He clenched his newly restored fists and replied solemnly, "Yes, Grand Elder! I understand! I'll work even harder to become stronger. I'll make sure I have the power to better protect you and Namek!"
But after hesitating for a moment, he couldn't help asking the Grand Elder in his heart:
"But... Grand Elder, do I really... really have a chance to catch up to that young God of Destruction someday?"
The voice in his mind fell silent for a while, as if the Grand Elder was considering how to answer without dampening Nail's spirits.