"I don't know. Didn't I ask the teacher for time off?" Gohan said, confused.
"Did you promise her something?" Kale asked, blinking.
"Promise her something?" Gohan thought hard, then his eyes suddenly lit up. "I remember! I did promise Videl I'd teach her how to fly."
Kale pouted, clearly unhappy.
"I can't really help it. If I didn't, she might expose my identity," Gohan said with a troubled look. "This is such a headache. I wanted to focus on training."
"It's okay, Gohan-nii. I'll teach her how to fly," Kale said, her eyes shining as she offered her idea.
"That's a great idea." Gohan nodded excitedly, then added with an apologetic look, "But then you won't have time to train."
"I think my strength is still fine. A day or two of training should be enough for me to recover," Kale said with a giggle.
She would rather teach Videl Flight herself than let Videl learn from Gohan.
"That really helps, Kale." Gohan let out a breath of relief, then pointed toward Videl, who had landed in the distance. "Let's head back first. She's our classmate, so it wouldn't feel right to just ignore her."
"Okay." Kale nodded.
…
Outside Gohan's house.
Chi-Chi stood in the doorway, looking Videl up and down.
"Are you here to ask Gohan out? Girls these days really are something. Didn't you see that Gohan already has a girlfriend?" Chi-Chi planted her hands on her hips and glared at Videl. "Are you trying to steal someone else's boyfriend?"
Videl was left speechless.
Why would you even think that?
"Hey, Videl!" Gohan called from afar.
Kale walked beside him.
"See? She's Gohan's girlfriend. She should be one of your classmates too, right?" Chi-Chi snorted.
"I… I'm not thinking anything like that!" Videl shouted angrily.
Kale, however, was deeply moved by Chi-Chi's words.
Nice one, Chi-Chi! I thought Chi-Chi might like a girl like Videl better. Looks like after all these years living here, she really does care about me.
"Um… actually… it's not what Mom thinks," Gohan quickly explained, then turned to Videl. "You actually found this place?"
"Your address was in the school register. Why did you just stop coming to school?" Videl asked. "And also, you promised to teach me how to fly."
"Right… I'll teach you. But Kale will be your teacher." Gohan pointed at Kale beside him.
Kale gave a small nod.
Videl looked at Kale in surprise. "You can fly too?"
"In pure combat terms, Kale is much stronger than I am," Gohan added with a smile.
"She is?" Videl was even more shocked.
Kale is stronger than Gohan?
"No, Gohan-nii…" Kale said, a little embarrassed.
"Kale, are you entering the World Martial Arts Tournament too?" Videl asked, suddenly excited.
"I am." Kale nodded.
"That's great!" Videl pumped her fist. "I've always wanted to find an opponent on my level. I didn't expect it to be you instead of Gohan."
Kale fell silent.
You think you can be my opponent?
Where does that confidence even come from?
Kale could not bring herself to say that out loud, so she simply pouted as if it did not matter.
"To make things fair, please teach me how to fly," Videl requested.
"Of course." Kale nodded in agreement.
"Mom, we're going over there to train," Gohan said, waving to Chi-Chi.
"Young lady, don't get any ideas about our Gohan! Gohan already has a girlfriend!" Chi-Chi warned Videl again, hands on her hips. "Though if you're willing to be Gohan's second wife, I suppose I could think about it."
Videl trembled with anger on the spot.
Kale nearly broke down.
Chi-Chi, why are you already trying to get Gohan-nii a second wife?
Isn't me enough?
That's so unfair.
I was just starting to think you were nice.
"Let's go. Now." Gohan felt unbearably awkward and quickly dragged Kale and Videl away.
The three of them soon appeared in an open space in the mountains.
Gohan let out a small breath of relief.
Mom, that was way too much.
How could you say something like that?
Videl is my classmate.
Kale looked at Videl with open hostility.
You really want to become Gohan-nii's second wife?
Not happening.
I will never allow it.
Videl's chest rose and fell as her face turned red.
I'm the daughter of Mr. Satan. Why would I become someone's second wife?
Gohan's mother is unbelievable.
"Kale, let's get started," Gohan hurriedly said, forcing the subject back to Flight.
"Okay, Gohan-nii." Kale nodded.
"I'll explain a little first. Flight itself isn't that hard." Gohan said. "It's a technique for controlling ki. Once you understand that, you can fly through the air. But if you want to fly at high speed, that takes a lot of training."
"Controlling ki? What is ki?" Videl asked, not really understanding.
"Ki… put simply, it's the energy hidden inside your body." Gohan explained.
"Hidden power?" Videl still did not understand.
Kale went quiet.
Gohan-nii, you've already said so much to her.
"You're so dense. This is ki!" Kale finally snapped. She raised her right hand, and a glowing golden sphere immediately appeared in her palm.
Videl's eyes widened. It looked like Kale was performing magic.
What is that?
"That's right. This is ki," Gohan said with a nod. "It's energy from inside the body condensed into a ki blast. You can also call it an energy blast, a ki bullet, a destruction blast, or whatever else fits the moment."
Videl looked even more lost as she stared blankly at the strange ball of energy.
"Watch closely." Kale grinned and casually tossed the energy ball away.
Bang!
The energy blast struck a massive rock.
With a deafening boom, the rock exploded.
Rumble!
Broken stone flew everywhere, dust filled the air, and the mountain echoed with the crash.
"That's it," Gohan said with a nod.
Videl's eyes widened again, her face full of astonishment.
"What do you call ki?" Gohan asked curiously.
"I… I've never seen anyone blow a rock apart like that. I've only seen things suddenly disappear," Videl said after thinking for a moment.
"Disappear?" Gohan froze.
"Gohan-nii, Ken-nii said Zeno-sama is friends with Mr. Satan," Kale whispered into Gohan's ear.
"Zeno-sama?" Gohan was stunned.
Gohan had once heard his father and grandfather talk about Zeno-sama.
According to them, Zeno-sama was the greatest god in all the universes.
With one tiny wave of his hand, he could erase an entire universe with ease.
He was terrifying.
From what Gohan knew, even Ken had to bow before Zeno-sama.
Videl's father was actually friends with Zeno-sama?
Gohan was left speechless.
Then ask Zeno-sama to teach you Flight.
Why are you learning from us?
"Hey, does that mean I can't fly if I don't have ki?" Videl asked anxiously.
"Don't worry. Everyone has ki. Most people just don't know how to control it or use it," Kale comforted her. "I'll teach you how to control your ki first."
"That's good." Videl breathed a little easier.
…
Noon.
Chi-Chi kept Videl for lunch.
"Thank you for inviting me to eat with you," Videl said politely.
"What else was I supposed to do, let you go hungry?" Chi-Chi said helplessly as she filled a bowl of rice for Videl.
Videl took a bite and could not help praising it. "This smells amazing! It tastes way better than the food my family's chef makes!"
"Chef? Does your family run a restaurant?" Chi-Chi asked, startled.
"No, my family hired a chef," Videl replied.
Kale suddenly had a bad feeling.
Chi-Chi, why are you asking so many questions?
Are you trying to set them up?
Gohan-nii already has me!
"You hired a chef?" Chi-Chi froze, then asked, "Is your family rich? How many rooms does your house have? Ten? Twenty?"
"Um… how many are there? Around fifty, I think," Videl replied after doing a quick count.
"Fifty? Then you're loaded!" Chi-Chi was shocked. She quickly smiled and turned to Gohan. "Gohan, I think she'd make a pretty good second wife."
Pfft!
The rice Gohan had just eaten sprayed straight out, splattering all over Kale's face.
Kale fell silent.
Her heart hurt.
Chi-Chi, you can't do this.
…
That afternoon, under Kale's patient instruction, Videl finally sensed her ki.
At this point, Kale only wanted to teach Videl how to fly as quickly as possible so she could leave.
Otherwise, what, was she going to stay here and steal Gohan from me?
Gohan trained in the distance, punching and kicking at the air.
"That's ki. Congratulations, you've sensed it. You can leave now," Kale said bluntly.
"Can I fly now?" Videl asked excitedly.
"You need to be able to use your ki properly first," Kale replied with a straight face.
"Kale, don't worry. I'm not interested in Gohan," Videl said, understanding what Kale was thinking. She gave Kale a friendly smile.
"Hmph." Kale looked pleased.
"Besides, why would I become someone's second wife?" Videl said seriously.
"As long as you know that," Kale huffed.
"As soon as you teach me how to fly, I'll leave right away," Videl promised.
"You better keep your word!" Kale stared straight at her.
"Of course." Videl nodded.
The afternoon's training quickly came to an end.
The sun gradually sank toward the horizon.
With Kale's guidance, Videl could already lift both feet off the ground.
"Not bad. You're much faster than I expected." Kale nodded in satisfaction.
Just then, Gohan finished his afternoon training and came over to watch.
When he saw that Videl could already hover in midair, he was both surprised and delighted.
"That's great! You did it!" Gohan said with a smile. "You can already float. Try rising a little higher."
"Please be quiet. I can't concentrate," Videl said to Gohan with her eyes closed.
Kale said nothing, but she felt sour inside.
Gohan-nii, why are you paying so much attention to Videl?
Tap.
Videl slowly landed on the ground, exhaled, and wiped away the sweat from her brow.
"That's seriously impressive. You learned how to hover in just one day," Gohan said, thrilled.
"Really?" Videl also felt a clear sense of achievement.
"Gohan! Gohan!"
At that moment, a young voice came from the distance.
The next instant, Goten flew over at high speed and landed beside Gohan.
Besides Goten, Zarek also flew in, landing steadily beside Videl.
"Oh, it's Goten and Zarek!" Gohan said with a laugh.
"You should call me Zarek. I'm your uncle, you know," Zarek snorted, shooting Gohan a sideways look.
"You little brat. Keep acting rude and I'll beat you up!" Kale stepped forward and ruffled Zarek's hair.
Zarek seemed rather afraid of Kale. His mouth trembled, and he quickly hid behind Videl.
Videl was baffled.
Who are these two kids?
I just saw them flying really fast.
"Oh, right. Let me introduce them," Gohan said to Videl. "This is my little brother, Goten. This is Zarek, my uncle. The two of them are the same age."
"Uncle?" Videl looked back at the little brat who was the same size as Goten, completely confused.
Why are you calling him your uncle?
"Zarek is the child of my grandfather and grandmother, so he's my uncle. Nothing wrong with that, right?" Gohan explained.
"Your grandfather and grandmother?" Videl was even more shocked. "Your real ones?"
Gohan nodded.
"How old are your grandfather and grandmother?" Videl asked, unable to hold back her curiosity.
"How old? My grandfather is probably over two thousand," Gohan said, scratching his head and answering honestly.
"Two thousand? Are you joking? How is that possible? That's the best story you could come up with?" Videl snorted, her face full of disbelief.
"I'm not lying," Gohan said with a smile.
"Then… is your grandmother over two thousand too?" Videl asked again.
"My grandmother isn't that old. She should be in her thirties this year," Gohan said, a little embarrassed.
Videl was lost.
Now she was even more confused.
"You're really good at joking. You're sixteen this year, right?" Videl was so exasperated that she almost laughed.
"Yeah." Gohan nodded.
"You're sixteen, so your mother has to be at least forty, right?" Videl tilted her head and looked at him.
"Well… listen, let me explain…" Gohan scratched his head.
"What is there to explain?" Videl frowned and stared at Gohan.
Do you think I'm stupid?
Your mother is already over forty.
And your grandmother is only thirty?
Kale watched silently from the side without saying anything.
Once he tells her the truth, she'll probably be shocked.
But after she hears the truth, will she actually believe it?
"I get it," Videl suddenly said, as if she had figured everything out.
"What do you get?" Gohan asked, puzzled.
"Your grandfather married a new wife. She isn't your real grandmother, right?" Videl felt very proud of how clever she was.
"Well…" Gohan had no idea how to respond.
That actually sounds so reasonable I don't even know how to argue.
"That's not it…" Gohan could only explain patiently. "Would you believe me if I said my grandmother was reborn?"
"Reborn? What does that mean?" Videl asked, not understanding.
"It means my grandmother had already died… but then she was reborn, so she's only thirty now," Gohan answered honestly.
Videl went quiet.
She did not want to talk anymore.
The more he explained, the more ridiculous it sounded.
Does he really think I'm some gullible girl he can trick that easily?
Wait…
Let me sort this out.
That person called Zeno-sama can erase things with a casual wave of his hand. If someone can be reborn, maybe that isn't actually such a big deal.
"Do you believe me?" Gohan asked.
"I believe you." After a brief silence, Videl nodded gently.
Kale felt her heart ache from the side.
That's not how this was supposed to go!
By all rights, Videl shouldn't believe him.
So why does she believe him?
"This girl isn't stupid," Zarek said with a smile from the side. "Yeah, she's my type."
"Zarek, what are you saying? Don't talk nonsense!" Gohan scolded him quietly.
"I didn't say anything. I'm just telling the truth." Zarek looked completely unconcerned, playing the bratty kid role to perfection.
Gohan had no idea what to do with him.
Goten simply stood to the side with a silly smile, scratching his head over and over. He looked almost exactly like Goku and Gohan.
"Then why don't you marry my eldest nephew?" Zarek said to Videl with a grin. "If you two get married, at least you'll raise our family's average intelligence. Otherwise, between my two brothers, this family really is too stupid."
Videl's face immediately flushed red, and she shyly glanced at Gohan.
"See? You're blushing. That means you like my eldest nephew." Zarek laughed even more happily, acting like a tiny adult.
Thump!
Kale showed no mercy. She slammed her fist onto Zarek's head and left a big lump there.
Zarek crouched on the ground in pain, baring his teeth as his whole body seemed to shut down.
"All you know how to do is hit people. Don't you know your Gohan-nii likes gentle girls?" Zarek glared at Kale, annoyed.
"Say that again!" Kale snapped.
Zarek was still afraid of her in the end. He quickly closed his mouth and did not dare say another word.
Kale took a deep breath.
I'm not going to argue with a little brat.
If I even look at you again, I lose.
Gohan fell silent.
He did not know what to say either.
He had only wanted to train properly, but somehow all these messy things had piled up.
"By the way, how long will it take before I can fly like them?" Videl quickly changed the subject.
"Well…" Kale was speechless for a moment, then hurriedly said, "Goten and Zarek learned how to control their ki a long time ago. Since you've already made it this far, you're only one step away from flying like them."
Why do you look like you still want to come back to our house?
I don't want you coming here again.
"Then I'll come again tomorrow," Videl said, the corners of her mouth lifting into a proud smile.
Kale nearly went mad.
"What? Am I not welcome?" Videl asked with a smile, looking around at everyone present.
"I welcome you!" Zarek raised his hand first.
Goten scratched his head foolishly and said nothing.
"Goten, agree already!" Zarek kicked Goten.
Goten was confused.
"Why did you kick me?"
"What about you, Gohan? Can I come again tomorrow?" Videl asked, looking at Gohan.
Gohan could only nod helplessly.
"Don't worry. I told you, I won't steal Gohan from you," Videl whispered into Kale's ear.
Kale snorted and did not answer.
"Then I'll see you tomorrow." Videl took out a Capsule and casually tossed it out.
Poof!
The Capsule turned into a jet helicopter.
Videl waved and walked toward the helicopter.
"Ah… one more thing…" Gohan could not help speaking up.
"What?" Videl paused and looked back at him.
"Videl, I think your hair would be better short," Gohan said with a smile.
"Oh?" Videl looked at Kale and noticed that Kale had tied her hair into a braid. It was not short at all. She immediately felt confused.
Why are you telling me to cut my hair?
Kale also looked at Gohan with suspicion.
Does Gohan-nii like short hair?
"Short hair gives you an advantage in a tournament. Long hair can block your vision, and your opponent might grab it," Gohan explained.
Videl went silent.
"That's none of your business. How I wear my hair is my own choice!" Videl shouted angrily, then turned and boarded the jet aircraft, quickly leaving the area.
…
Universe 7, Galactic Patrol Headquarters.
Merus's room.
"Ken, when are we leaving for Zeno-sama's Palace?" Merus asked.
"I thought about it carefully. Why should we take the initiative and go looking for the two guards?" Ken said with a grin. "Why not have them come find me instead, and then we can agree on a place to fight?"
"But where would you fight?" Merus shook his head. "With your current strength, a battle in this universe could have a huge impact on the entire universe."
"Obviously, we'll fight in the World of Void," Ken said with a smile.
"If you fight in the World of Void, then there's no problem." Merus relaxed.
"I'll contact the two guards right now." Ken acted immediately. He took out his scepter and began contacting the Right Guard through the crystal ball on top.
[End of chapter]
[100 Power Stones = Extra Chapter]
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