New Life

In the spring of AGE 753, Launch gave birth to a girl. Outside the delivery room, Kashu paced back and forth. Though he knew Saiyan childbirth was very safe, he still couldn't help feeling nervous. "Kashu, stop pacing." Bulma stopped him. "Launch is a Saiyan. She'll be fine." "I know, but still..." A baby's cry rang out from inside the delivery room, loud and strong. Kashu rushed in and saw Launch cradling a rosy-cheeked baby, her face weary but happy. "Kashu, it's a girl," Launch said. "Our daughter." Kashu took the baby and looked at her tiny face, her tightly closed eyes, and her slightly parted lips. Her hair was black, like Kashu's, but the tips were faintly golden, like Launch's blonde-haired form. Her eyes were still closed, but Kashu could sense the powerful ki inside her—her birth power level was 800, far beyond that of an ordinary Saiyan baby. "She's so tiny," Kashu said softly. "Of course she is. She's only just been born," Launch said with a smile. "Give her a name." "Kariel," Kashu said. "Ka and Lan—a combination of Kashu and Launch." "Kariel..." Launch repeated the name. "All right, Kariel it is." Kariel opened her eyes. They were golden, like Launch's blonde-haired form, and stared straight at Kashu before she broke into a grin. Kashu's heart melted.

In the summer of AGE 753, Bulma gave birth to a girl. Her delivery went even more smoothly than Launch's—she used her own invention, the "Painless Delivery Device," and never cried out in pain once. The baby had blue hair like Bulma, black eyes like Kashu, fair skin, and delicate features. Her birth power level was 750. "Her name is Kabrun," Bulma said. "Ka and Bu—a combination of Kashu and Bulma." "Kabrun," Kashu said as he picked up his daughter. "That's a good name." Kabrun yawned, then began to cry. Her wails were so loud the whole hospital could hear them. "That voice of hers—she takes after you," Kashu said with a laugh. "Of course she does!" Bulma said proudly. "My daughter's going to be the smartest person in the universe someday! And the most beautiful, too." "Naturally!" Launch came to visit with Kariel in her arms. The two mothers looked at each other's daughters and began comparing them. "Kariel's eyes are golden. So pretty," Bulma said. "Kabrun's hair is blue. Pretty, too," Launch replied. "They'll be the best of sisters someday," Tights said from nearby. "When's your baby due?" Bulma asked Tights. "Soon," Tights said, rubbing her rounded belly. "Next month."

In the autumn of AGE 753, Tights gave birth to a boy. Her delivery was quiet—she didn't even go to the delivery room, but gave birth in her bedroom at home, with Gine, Kashu's mother, helping. The baby had black hair like Kashu, silver eyes like Tights, fair skin, and a serene face. His birth power level was 820. "Kassis," Tights said softly, holding her son. "Ka and Sis—a combination of Kashu and Tights." Kashu took his son and looked into his silver eyes. Kassis didn't cry or fuss. He quietly gazed at his father, as if studying this unfamiliar world. "He's so quiet," Kashu said. "Like me," Tights said with a smile. "And strong, too. His birth power level is higher than both his sisters'. He'll become the strongest warrior," Tights said, "but not because of his power level. It'll be because of his heart."

Kashu looked at his wife, warmth welling up inside him. Tights always saw things others didn't. Life with the three children. The birth of the three children filled New Vegeta City with laughter and joy. Kariel inherited Launch's fiery temper. She rolled over at three months, crawled at six months, and walked at one year old. Every day, she tore through the house, leaving Bulma's lab in a complete mess. "Kariel! Don't touch Mommy's equipment!" Launch chased her daughter all over the house. Kariel giggled and hid behind Kashu. He picked her up and kissed her cheek. "Kariel, be good." "No!" Kariel shook her head. "I want to play!" "Then play, but don't make a mess." Kariel tilted her head, thought it over, then nodded. "Okay." Kabrun inherited Bulma's intelligence. She could speak at six months, recognize characters at one year old, and began reading Bulma's research notes at two. She didn't like fighting, but she loved taking things apart—dismantling her toys, studying how they worked, then putting them back together.

"Kabrun, you took my alarm clock apart again!" Bulma stood with her hands on her hips. "Mom, there's a problem with its design." Kabrun held up the scattered parts. "The gear ratio is wrong, so it doesn't keep accurate time." "...You understood gear ratios at two years old?" "Is it hard?" Bulma was speechless. She decided she would pass Capsule Corp on to this daughter someday. Kassis was the quietest of the three children. He never cried or fussed, and was always observing everything around him with his silver eyes. He didn't speak much, but whenever he did, he got straight to the point. "What are you looking at, Kassis?" Tights asked. "Dad training," Kassis said, pointing out the window. In the distance, Kashu was leading the warriors in training. "Do you want to learn?" "Yes," Kassis said. "I want to be as strong as Dad." When Kassis was two, Kashu took him to the training ground. He had Kassis sense his ki.

"Dad's ki is red," Kassis said. "Like fire." Kashu's pupils contracted. Kassis's heightened perception was even stronger than he had imagined. A two-year-old could sense the color and texture of ki—something that surpassed even what Son Goku had been capable of at the same age. "Kassis, you'll grow into an amazing warrior," Kashu said. "I want to fight alongside Dad," Kassis said. "All right. I'll be waiting." Though Kashu was busy training and leading, he never neglected his family. Every morning, he finished training before the children woke, then ate breakfast with them. Kariel liked sitting on his lap, Kabrun liked sitting beside him with a book, and Kassis quietly watched from across the table. "What are you training today, Dad?" Kariel asked. "Ki Blasts." "I want to train, too!" "You're still little. You can train when you're older." "No! I want to do it now!" Kashu smiled helplessly and formed a Ki Blast the size of a grain of rice at his fingertip, then gently placed it in Kariel's palm. The Ki Blast bounced in her hand, glowing softly. "Wow!" Kariel's eyes lit up. "It's so pretty!" "This is a Ki Blast. It's one of Dad's powers. When you grow up, you'll have it, too." "I'm going to be stronger than Dad!" "All right. I'll be waiting." Kabrun looked up. "Dad, how do Ki Blasts work? How can ki condense into something solid?" "You'll have to ask Mommy Bulma about that. She's a scientist." "Mom said she doesn't know either, so she told me to ask you." Kashu thought for a moment. "Ki is the expression of a living being's energy. Every living thing has ki, but most people don't know how to use it. A Ki Blast is made by compressing ki into an extremely small space, creating a high-density ball of energy. It's like squeezing a wad of cotton into a glass marble—the volume gets smaller, but the density increases." Kabrun nodded thoughtfully, then lowered her head and continued reading. Kassis said nothing. He simply held out his hand, and a tiny silver Ki Blast gathered in his palm. Kashu's pupils contracted. Kassis was only two. No one had taught him—had he learned to form a Ki Blast all by himself? "Kassis, how did you do that?" "I just thought about Dad's Ki Blast, then tried to make one," Kassis said. "And it appeared."

Kashu drew a deep breath. This youngest son had a talent far beyond what he had expected. "Kassis, don't show that to just anyone." "Why?" "Because you're still little. You might hurt someone if you can't control it." "I understand." Kashu patted his son's head, feeling both proud and worried. Kassis's talent was too great. If he didn't guide him properly, he might end up on the wrong path. Kashu would teach him personally, just as he had once taught Son Goku. That evening, Kashu returned home to find his three wives chatting in the living room. Launch, in her blue-haired form, was knitting. Bulma was tinkering with a new invention, and Tights was writing. Each woman was doing her own thing, occasionally exchanging a few words. The atmosphere was warm and harmonious.

"You're back," Tights said, looking up. "Have you had dinner?" "I ate at the training ground." Kashu sat down on the sofa, and Bulma immediately leaned against him. "Kashu, I invented something new—a Portable Gravity Suit." Bulma handed him a suit as thin as a cicada's wing. "You can adjust the gravity while wearing it, up to a hundred times normal. Now you can train outside, too." "This is great," Kashu said, taking the suit. "Thank you, Bulma." "What are you thanking me for? I'm your wife," Bulma said with a grin. "Though if you really want to thank me, then tonight you can—" "Bulma!" Tights cut her off. "The children are still upstairs." "They're asleep," Bulma whispered. Kashu shook his head with a smile. He stood and went upstairs to check on the children. All three were asleep in the same room. Kariel had the wildest sleeping pose, sprawled out and taking up half the bed. Kabrun was bundled in her blanket, with only a tuft of blue hair showing. Kassis slept in the corner, lying straight and breathing evenly. Kashu sat by the bed and looked at the three children, a sense of fulfillment he had never known rising within him. In his previous life, he'd been alone. After coming to this world, he'd been one of many. Now he was a husband, a father, and a leader. He had people he needed to protect. "System, display status." [Legendary Super God-Level System] Host: Kashu Age: 20 Power Level: Base form: 3.5 million; Legendary Super Saiyan First Grade: 280 million; Legendary Super Saiyan Second Grade: 560 million; Legendary Super Saiyan Third Grade: 1.4 billion; Legendary Super Saiyan Fourth Grade: 2.8 billion Legendary Super Saiyan Awakening: 58% Family: 3 wives, 3 children Current Mission: None "Two point eight billion," Kashu murmured. "Still not enough." He stood and went downstairs. His three wives were still chatting in the living room. When Kashu came down, Bulma patted the sofa beside her. "Come sit." Kashu sat between Bulma and Tights, and Launch poured him a cup of tea. "Kashu, are you going away again?" Tights asked. "How did you know?" "Your eyes," Tights said. "Every time you're about to go into battle, you have that look." Kashu was silent for a moment, then said, "Frieza may have retreated, but his father, King Cold, is still out there. There are even stronger enemies in the universe. I can't stop." "We know," Launch said. "We just hope you'll come back safely." "I will," Kashu said. "I promise I'll come back every time I leave." "Pinky promise." Bulma held out her little finger. Kashu hooked pinkies with her, then with Launch and Tights as well. The three women leaned against him, and he wrapped his arms around them. Outside the window, moonlight poured over New Vegeta City. This city and these people were everything he had to protect.