Severing the Tail to Renew
Son Goku was not affected by the oppressive atmosphere at all.
He walked across the lawn with a cheerful smile, his steps light and quick, his boots making only a soft rustling sound as they stepped on the grass.
As he approached Vegeta, he stopped, beaming with a bright smile, "I'm here. It's important."
Vegeta frowned, his face almost knotted with embarrassment.
He replied coldly, "I'm not interested in anything." Then he deliberately turned his face away, his gaze falling on the dent he had left in the yard during his training the day before.
Son Goku didn't pay any attention and sat down on the steps next to Vegeta, the wooden steps making a soft creak.
He bent one leg, casually rested his arm on his knee, and turned his head to carefully examine Vegeta's tense profile.
"I'll help you break through to Super Saiyan 4." He got straight to the point, his tone as casual as if he were talking about the weather.
Vegeta immediately turned around, his eyes sharp as knives, staring directly at Son Goku: "I don't need your help." He spoke very slowly, each word seemingly squeezed out through gritted teeth, full of pride and resistance, "I will walk my own path."
Son Goku nodded repeatedly, his smile fading slightly as he became serious, "I know, of course you want to rely on yourself. But to become Super Saiyan 4, you first need the power of Great Ape Transformation."
As he spoke, his gaze unconsciously drifted to Vegeta's waist—it was completely covered by the Battle Suit, its lines smooth, yet empty, lacking one of the most important symbols of Saiyan.
"And to Great Ape Transformation, you need a tail." Son Goku's gaze returned to Vegeta's face, his tone calm but firm. "Your tail was ripped off long ago, wasn't it?"
Vegeta let out a cold laugh, tinged with self-mockery and stubbornness. "So what?" he retorted, tightening his arms around himself until his knuckles turned white. "Even without a tail, I'm still Vegeta. I reached Super Saiyan 2 through my own strength, and even touched the threshold of Super Saiyan 3!"
"You've always been strong," Son Goku said confidently, his eyes clear, without any pretense or pity, simply stating the truth. "But the Old Kai told me he has a way to help you 'pull your tail back'."
He emphasized "pull it back," then added, "Just like Qi Heng helped me back then."
Upon hearing the name "Qi Heng," Vegeta's body stiffened slightly.
That person was mysterious and powerful; his words always commanded respect.
Vegeta fell silent, and his previously sharp aura of rejection froze.
He lowered his head, his thick eyelashes casting a small shadow, his gaze fixed on his clenched fist, as if trying to see through the skin to the boiling Saiyan blood within.
Only the sound of the wind and the faint noise of the city in the distance remained in the courtyard.
The sunlight moved slowly, stretching their shadows longer.
"Vegeta," Son Goku spoke again, his voice lower and more sincere than before, less playful. "I understand. Getting you to accept my help is harder than letting you go through another near-death battle. I know your pride best."
He looked up at the blue sky, where a few wisps of white clouds drifted by.
"But this isn't for me, nor for some pointless competition. It's for Bulma, for Trunks, for everyone here, for the Earth..."
His voice grew increasingly firm, "Even for the sake of the entire universe. Qi Heng reminded us that peace won't last forever. Darker, more powerful shadows are still lurking in the distance. The enemies of the future will require us to surpass our current limits to deal with them."
Son Goku turned and looked intently at Vegeta: "We need to become stronger, we need to seize every opportunity. You, Vegeta, your power is absolutely indispensable. We need Super Saiyan 4 Vegeta."
Vegeta still didn't look up, but Son Goku could feel that the tense, repressive aura emanating from him was slowly loosening.
This struggle is intense, a tug-of-war between pride, reality, and responsibility.
"A stronger enemy?" After a long silence, Vegeta finally spoke in a low, hoarse voice, as if suppressing countless emotions, "... What Qi Heng said?"
"Hmm." Son Goku nodded seriously.
Another long silence followed.
A bird landed on a branch not far away, chirped a few times, and then flew away.
Finally, Vegeta took a deep breath, his chest heaving noticeably.
He loosened his arms from his tight embrace, placed his hands on his knees, and then stood up abruptly, his movements swift and decisive, displaying his characteristic decisiveness.
He stood on the steps, a head taller than Son Goku.
He crossed his arms again, but this time the gesture contained less resistance and more determination.
His gaze passed over the wall surrounding the Capsule Corporation's courtyard, looking towards the distant horizon where clouds piled up, as if foreshadowing a future storm.
The sunlight illuminated his body, and his dark blue Battle Suit seemed to absorb some of the warmth.
His profile was still as sharp as ever, but deep in his eyes, a flame was rekindled—not the flame of competing with Son Goku, but a broader and more profound warrior's consciousness.
"Okay." He uttered the word crisply and forcefully, cutting off all hesitation.
"I'm going to the Supreme Kai Realm."
Son Goku suddenly looked up, his eyes lighting up like stars lit up in the night, the light almost overflowing. "Really?!" His voice was full of unbelievable surprise, and a touch of childlike exuberance.
Vegeta immediately turned his face away, crossed his arms, and frowned, as if he had been stung by Son Goku's straightforward joy.
He deliberately emphasized each word, stressing it heavily. "But I didn't go because of you." He paused, his sharp gaze sweeping across Son Goku's face like a blade. "I just... didn't want to be left behind by you, that's all."
Son Goku was stunned by his awkward appearance at first, then a dazzling smile bloomed on his face, pure and warm, without a trace of gloom.
He nodded vigorously, his voice full of understanding and trust. "I know."
--Supreme Kai Realm.
A gentle breeze swept across the vast, tranquil meadow, carrying with it the unique scent of vegetation and a faint, luminous dust found only in the divine realm.
In the distance, those strange, divine plants swayed gently in the dim light.
Old Kai stood on a flat ground, leaning on his ancient scepter.
He raised his eyes, which were slightly cloudy from the passage of time, and carefully examined Vegeta, who stood proudly.
That complex look in his eyes finally turned into a long sigh, which dissipated in the wind.
"You Saiyan ..." He shook his head, the wrinkles on his face telling a story of helplessness, "Each one is more troublesome than the last, each one a worry..."
"Stop talking nonsense." Vegeta's jawline was taut, his tone cold and impatient.
He slightly adjusted his stance, feet apart—a habitual movement he made when facing challenges or pain—"Let's begin."
Old Kai sighed again, this time seeming somewhat resigned to his fate.
He said no more and slowly raised the scepter in his hand.
The gem at the top of the scepter began to gleam, mingling with the sunlight of the divine realm.
"Child, I must remind you one more time," the Old Kai's voice turned serious, his gaze fixed on Vegeta, "This process... will be very painful."