The Grimm Beowulf never saw the strike coming.
Kaito's fist connected with its mask, and the creature exploded into black smoke before it could even howl. The young Saiyan landed in the sand, his dark tail wrapping briefly around his waist before loosening again. Around him, five more Grimm circled—drawn by the fear of the family huddled behind an overturned cart.
"Stay down," Kaito said, not looking back at them. His voice carried that edge of arrogance he'd picked up from studying Vegeta's techniques in his past life. Not cruelty—just absolute confidence.
An Ursa charged from his left. Kaito's response was textbook Vegeta: he side-stepped at the last possible moment, drove his elbow into the creature's spine with devastating precision, then finished it with a sharp ki-enhanced kick that sent it tumbling into two of its packmates.
Efficient. No wasted movement. Every strike with purpose.
"Big Bang Attack!" he shouted, thrusting his palm forward.
The blue-white sphere of ki energy obliterated the tangled Grimm in an explosion that made the family behind him gasp. The remaining two Beowulves hesitated—these creatures of darkness sensing something wrong about this human child who fought without weapon or Aura glow.
Kaito smirked, settling into Vegeta's signature arms-crossed stance as his dark hair whipped in the sea breeze. "Well? I'm waiting."
They charged together. Bad idea.
He met the first one with a rising knee strike that shattered its mask, then spun into a devastating roundhouse that caught the second mid-leap. Both dissolved into smoke.
The merchant father was already scrambling to his feet. "Thank you! Thank you so much! Our cart broke down and those things came out of nowhere—"
"Where are you headed?" Kaito interrupted, brushing sand from his training gi.
"Argus. We're trying to reach the city before nightfall."
Kaito glanced at the broken wheel. "You won't make it like that." He walked over to the cart, crouched, and with a grunt of effort that showed he was still young and building strength, lifted the entire wagon. "I'll carry it. You push from behind to keep it steady."
The family stared.
"What? Do you want to stay out here when more Grimm show up?" Kaito's tone was pure Vegeta—impatient, pragmatic, maybe a little insulting. But he was already walking, carrying their entire livelihood on his shoulders.
That Evening - Argus Outskirts
Kaito sat on a cliff overlooking the city, practicing his ki control. Small spheres of energy danced between his fingers—basic exercises, but foundational. In his past life, he'd watched Vegeta master energy manipulation with surgical precision. That's what he needed now.
Not overwhelming power. Not yet.
Control. Discipline. Perfection of technique.
He formed another sphere, compressed it, made it denser. His hand trembled with the effort. At thirteen, with only four years of training in this Saiyan body, he was still learning its limits.
"That's a neat trick."
Kaito's head snapped around. A girl, maybe sixteen, with light brown hair and orange-tipped streaks, stood a respectful distance away. She wore combat gear and had a weapon—a grenade launcher that transformed into some kind of blade—strapped to her back.
"You were that kid from the beach," she continued. "Word travels fast in Argus. A kid who fights Grimm with his bare hands and… whatever that is." She nodded at the ki sphere still hovering above his palm.
Kaito let it dissipate. "And you are?"
"Coco. Coco Adel. Second-year at Beacon Academy." She studied him with interest. "You're not from any combat school I know. No weapon, fighting style I've never seen, and you're doing things that look nothing like Aura or Semblances."
"I'm self-taught." Not quite a lie.
"Self-taught doesn't usually handle five Grimm without breaking a sweat at thirteen." Coco sat down nearby—not too close, respecting his space. "Look, I'm not interrogating you. But if you're traveling alone, you should know—the world's more dangerous than most people realize."
Kaito's tail twitched in annoyance, but he kept it hidden beneath his gi. "I can handle myself."
"I saw. I'm just saying… there are things out there worse than Beowulves and Ursai." She paused. "Where are you headed?"
"Everywhere." Kaito looked out at the sunset over Argus. "I'm training. Getting stronger. Learning what this world has to teach."
"And helping people along the way?"
He glanced at her sharply.
Coco smiled. "The merchant family wouldn't stop talking about the 'proud little hero' who carried their cart for three miles. You made an impression."
Kaito scowled—pure Vegeta. "I didn't do it for praise. They needed help. I was there. Simple."
"Uh-huh." Coco stood, dusting off her skirt. "Well, 'simple hero,' Beacon's in Vale if you ever want formal training. Something tells me you'd make one hell of a Huntsman." She started walking away, then paused. "Oh, and whatever you're building toward with that training? Be careful. Power without purpose just attracts the wrong kind of attention."
She left.
Kaito sat alone again, resuming his ki exercises. His reflection shimmered in the energy sphere—a young Saiyan face with determined eyes.
Super Saiyan can wait. Right now, I need to master every technique, every form, every principle. When I finally transform… it'll be because I've earned it.
Because this world needs a protector who knows exactly what they're doing.
He closed his fist, absorbing the ki back into his body.
Tomorrow, he'd head to Mistral. There were mountains there—perfect for high-gravity training simulations. And rumors of villages plagued by Grimm.
People who needed help.
The journey continued.