Dragon Ball: Ascension

"I have to admit, I underestimated the Kaimo," Karnel said, brushing dust from his clothes as he watched the last of the debris fall. "I didn't expect them to know how to suppress their battle power so effectively, completely masking their energy signatures. Clever trick. And that Wright guy..." He chuckled despite himself. "Completely delusional, but I'll give him credit for maintaining his fighting spirit even when facing certain death. That kind of determination is almost admirable."

Around them, Ceror's battle was winding down. The dozen elite Bargonian warriors had cut through Wright's subordinates like a scythe through wheat, there was simply no contest between trained fighters and mere collection soldiers.

Only one enemy remained standing: the unit Co-leader, whose combat power roughly matched Ceror's own. The two were locked in an intense one-on-one duel while the other Bargonians formed a respectful circle around them.

Karnel noticed that despite having finished their own fights, none of the Bargonian warriors moved to help their leader. Instead, they watched with intense focus, as if the outcome of this single combat held special significance.

In Bargonian culture, combat was sacred. Unless facing multiple opponents, interfering in a one-on-one duel was considered the highest form of dishonor. Victory achieved through such means would never be recognized by the clan, it would make the warrior a laughingstock among their own people.

As the contemporary leader of the Bargonians, Ceror carried the pride of his entire race on his shoulders.

After a grueling exchange of blows, Ceror finally saw his opening. At the cost of his left arm, badly mangled by his opponent's final desperate strike, he managed to deliver a killing blow to the enemy leader's heart.

"Excellent work," Karnel said, genuinely impressed as he approached the wounded leader. "That kind of unwavering determination in the face of adversity, that's something worth respecting. Though I have to say," he added with a slight smile, "I'm not quite stupid enough to take such risks when the power difference is overwhelming. If I knew an enemy could kill me instantly, I'd retreat first and train for a few years before coming back for revenge."

Of course, so far, Karnel had never actually encountered anyone capable of defeating him.

"Ceror," Karnel said, his tone becoming more serious, "the envoy chose death over revealing the Kaimo homeworld's coordinates. And with their ability to suppress their energy signatures, my telepathy was useless for extracting information."

Ceror grimaced, cradling his mangled left arm. "This complicates things significantly. We've killed a Kaimo tribute collector, they'll definitely send stronger warriors to punish us..."

"Actually, wait." Karnel's eyes lit up as an idea struck him. "There might be another way to find their planet. Wright's ship, it must have navigation data with the Kaimo homeworld's coordinates. As long as we can access their star charts, we might find a way to take the fight directly to their rulers."

Hope flickered in Ceror's eyes. "You're right! The ship's navigation system should have everything we need."

One of the Bargonian warriors approached hesitantly. "Uh... Boss, when I was fighting those invaders, I might have gotten a little carried away and... accidentally smashed their spacecraft pretty badly. I'm not sure if it's still functional."

Ceror sighed but managed a understanding smile. "Don't worry about it, Kamanlito. You were caught up in battle, these things happen. Let's go examine the ship and see what we can salvage."

When they reached the spacecraft, Karnel's expression darkened. A massive five-meter-deep dent had been punched directly into the ship's control section, with sparking electronics and twisted metal everywhere.

Karnel kicked open the ship's entrance and made his way to the bridge. The control panels were completely dark except for occasional electrical sparks, and none of the screens responded when he tried activating various systems.

Stepping back outside, Karnel shook his head grimly at Ceror. The ship was completely beyond repair.

Ceror's face went pale as the implications sank in, blood still seeping from his injured arm despite his attempts to stanch the flow.

"Here, this will help," Karnel said, producing a small green bean and handing it to the wounded leader. "Eat this, it'll heal your injuries completely."

After Ceror consumed the senzu bean and marveled at his perfectly restored arm, Karnel stretched and got back to business. "So we're back to playing defense instead of taking the initiative. We'll have to wait here for their retaliation. Ceror, what do you know about the size of their forces?"

Ceror closed his eyes, accessing tribal memories passed down through generations. "We don't have exact numbers for the Kaimo Empire. Our records only tell us that when they first invaded Bargon a thousand years ago, they brought about a hundred soldiers total. But only five of those were actually Kaimo, the rest were enslaved warriors from other conquered worlds."

Karnel nodded thoughtfully. Though the specific numbers remained unknown, it suggested the Kaimo population wasn't enormous, they relied heavily on subjugated forces to maintain their empire.

Suddenly, Karnel fell silent, lost in contemplation.

The messenger they'd just killed had over five million battle power and was apparently just a mid-level tribute collector. The warriors the Kaimo would send for revenge would certainly be stronger. While Karnel had complete confidence in his own abilities, the Bargonians were another matter entirely.

Though Ceror and his elite warriors possessed roughly one million combat power each, more than sufficient for dealing with ordinary soldiers, they would be helpless against truly powerful Kaimo elites. If even one enemy comparable to Karnel's strength arrived and managed to keep him occupied, the other invaders could massacre every Bargonian on the planet.

That wasn't an outcome Karnel could accept. While he could theoretically unleash his full power to end fights instantly, he preferred not to reveal his true capabilities unless absolutely necessary.

"Karnel?" Ceror noticed his companion's troubled expression. "What's on your mind? You can speak freely, don't hold back on our account."

"Ah..." Karnel snapped back to the present. "I was thinking about your people's strength levels. To be honest, I want to find a way to make all of you significantly more powerful before the Kaimo return."