The Reason

"You're talking nonsense!? What kind of joke is this!?"

At her words, even Kast couldn't help furrowing his brows. The veins in his forehead twitched.

"I'm not talking nonsense! And I'm not joking around!"

Looking at Kast, Laila's smile faded. She replied seriously.

"Kast, you may have misunderstood. When I said I wanted to have a child with you, I meant that you only need to give me a drop of your blood. I can handle having the child on my own."

As she spoke, Laila's face suddenly flushed. Her voice softened.

"If you want to do it that way, that's not impossible either, but you'll have to wait until you're older. You're still too young."

After saying that, Laila came over to Kast. She looked at him, barely tall enough to reach her chest, then bent down slightly and smiled.

"Enough!"

Unable to bear Laila's words any longer, Kast's forehead veins bulged, and he finally exploded.

"Don't push it! Never mind how ridiculous what you're saying is! Why should I have to give you a drop of my blood? And why should you get to use my blood to make a child?"

Listening to Kast and seeing his angry expression, Laila shook a finger and spoke softly.

"Well, because you owe me a favor, Kast! Hmm, aren't you curious how I know your name?"

Kast had indeed wondered how Laila knew his name and everything about his earlier battle with Frieza. But he hadn't had time to ask before. Now that she'd brought it up herself, he didn't interrupt, letting her continue.

"Hmm, it's simple. Feel around in your clothes, and you'll find out."

"My clothes!? All I have on me is a Senzu Bean and...!"

Suddenly, Kast seemed to understand. He reached into his clothes with his right hand and pulled out a small box.

He opened it, and the contents appeared beneath the starlight.

It was a red fruit covered in thorn-like bumps, about the size of a palm!

The moment Kast saw the fruit, he understood.

"Could it be!?"

Before Kast could finish speaking, the girl beside him answered.

"That's right!"

As if she knew what Kast was thinking, Laila continued.

"The Tree of Might fruit! This fruit was originally mine, you know, but you took every last one of them along the way!"

"..."

Seeing that Kast remained silent, Laila went on.

"You should know that the Tree of Might is a divine tree. It can't survive in the lower realm without a special environment. But have you ever wondered how it managed to survive on that barren planet?"

"Did you think it survived by absorbing radiation and heat? That was part of it, but have you ever wondered why there was a Tree of Might there in the first place?"

At Laila's question, Kast fell silent for a moment. That was something he'd wondered about before, too.

Seeing Kast fall silent, Laila smiled faintly and continued.

"The reason is simple. I brought that Tree of Might seed from the Divine Realm and planted it there. Do you know how much effort I put into helping it take root and grow? I never expected you to come along and pick its fruit while I was away for just a little while."

Although Laila said this, she didn't seem angry at all.

"Even so, I don't blame you. It was only because you picked the fruit that I discovered you. Your existence really surprised me, you know!"

Coming over to Kast, Laila couldn't hide her excitement and delight.

"So you've been following me this whole time! And that Divine Realm you just mentioned... Could it be that you're...!?"

Looking at the excited Laila, Kast's heart sank. He hadn't detected her presence at all during this time. Even when he'd just noticed her, it might have been because she'd wanted to reveal herself and hadn't bothered to hide.

Moreover, Kast had picked up another clue from Laila's words. It brought back a possibility he'd already thought was unbelievable.

Hearing Kast's question, the excited Laila showed no intention of hiding anything. She answered directly.

"Of course! Do you think I'd let the thief who took my things get away with it?"

Rolling her eyes, Laila continued.

"To be honest, I originally planned to find whoever had taken my fruit and eliminate them as soon as I did. But then I saw you. I sensed tremendous potential in you, and besides!"

At this, Laila stared intently at Kast, looking him up and down.

"It's hard for me to imagine how an ordinary person like you could eat so many Tree of Might fruits. Even I couldn't eat that many."

As she spoke, Laila grew even more excited.

"By following you, I learned so much. The Saiyan warrior race, Super Saiyan! The strongest Warrior in legend!"

The more Laila said, the lower Kast's heart sank. Still, he was a little relieved that he'd never let the truth about his reincarnation slip.

"You know, I've always been searching for the strongest Warrior! But I never found one—until I met you! I sensed tremendous potential within you! Your strength is far from your limit! I believe that if you're given a little time, you'll grow much stronger than you are now!"