One Slap

Outside the house, Kashius looked at the boy before him, who resembled him by seventy or eighty percent, and the corner of his lips lifted into a smile.

"Can you tell me how you've lived all these years?" Kashius kept his tone as gentle as possible, afraid that Buds might recall something unpleasant because of it.

"Buds?"

The wind lightly brushed past his cheeks, stirring the fringe over his forehead.

Buds stood silently, looking at Kashius standing so close before him, his face showing a thoughtful expression. But in the next instant, his brows suddenly furrowed. After letting out a cry of pain, his whole body collapsed to the ground. Clutching his head, he howled in agony.

At that moment, Kashius was stunned. He had thought he was already mentally prepared, but he had never expected things to be so far from simple—to the point that Buds would lose control like this.

And at that very moment, as he witnessed Buds's agonized expression and his heart-wrenching screams, Kashius's heart turned colder than ever before. His breathing, too, became steadier than it had ever been.

He hurriedly crouched down and wrapped his arms tightly around his son. His hand kept stroking the boy's head, as though he were comforting a child.

"Buds~!"

In that instant, Bulma, terrified by the sight, rushed out of the house and stood beside them, her pretty face filled with worry.

"His aura... it's terrifyingly still!" Trunks, standing behind Bulma, suddenly went pale, the hairs on his body nearly standing on end.

He could not sense any aura at all—not even the slightest trace! It was like the stillness before a storm broke, a silence so deep it inspired fear.

Screech, screech, screech~

The air suddenly gave off an ear-piercing grinding sound. It gradually grew louder, shriller,