Dragon Ball: Ascension

"Peaceful, yes... that's certainly one way to describe the comfort of the grave," Ceror had said, his bitter words hanging in the desert air.

Karnel studied the Bargon leader's conflicted expression with growing interest. There was clearly more to this story than the surface tranquility he'd observed across the galaxy.

"What's really going on?" Karnel asked, settling onto a large stone outcropping. "You obviously have something weighing on you that goes beyond simple planetary governance."

Ceror remained silent for a long moment, his weathered face a mask of internal struggle. This bitterness had festered in his heart for years, tormenting him constantly. Finally, he closed his eyes, unable to contain the pain any longer.

"Do you think the Kaimo people who rule this entire galaxy are really as benevolent as they appear?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper. "They treat us like livestock, raising us like pigs for slaughter."

Karnel's expression darkened as he sensed the depth of anguish in those words.

"Every fifty years, they send an envoy to our planet to collect one hundred of our people," Ceror continued, his voice growing hollow with each word. "We never learn their true purpose, and none of those taken have ever returned. What makes it worse..." His voice cracked with emotion. "I'm the one who must personally hand over my tribesmen to the Kaimo ambassador. Life on other planets throughout the galaxy isn't much different."

Whenever Ceror remembered the accusing, disbelieving eyes of his people as he delivered them to their fate, the memory cut through him like a blade. Two uncontrollable tears traced down his weathered cheeks as he gave a bitter, desolate laugh.

Hearing this revelation, Karnel's gaze toward Ceror shifted, showing a trace of disgust. An executioner who destroyed his own people with his own hands seemed as brutal as any beast. Part of him wanted to end Ceror's misery with a single strike.

"Haven't you ever tried to resist?" Karnel asked, his voice turning cold.

Ceror wiped his eyes and struggled to compose himself before responding with bitter resignation. "A thousand years ago, we did rebel. When the Kaimo first invaded our world, we initially refused to surrender. Our people naturally wanted to fight back. The leader at that time, the original Bargon, gathered our strongest warriors to resist the Kaimo forces."

His expression grew haunted as he continued. "But the Kaimo were overwhelmingly powerful. A single warrior from their ranks slaughtered all of our fighters, then proceeded to massacre over twenty thousand civilians in our capital city as punishment for our defiance."

"Afterward, they approached my ancestor, the strongest among the thirty thousand survivors, with an ultimatum. They promised that if we surrendered completely and provided one hundred people every fifty years, they wouldn't exterminate our entire race. To ensure our people's survival, he had no choice but to accept their terms."

Ceror's shoulders sagged under the weight of inherited guilt. "As for other civilizations throughout the galaxy, those who dared resist were either completely annihilated or left surviving as broken remnants like us. The worst part is that their demands keep escalating. What started as ten people every fifty years has grown to one hundred. What choice do I have? I'm desperate too."

After listening to Ceror's tale, Karnel sighed deeply. He didn't want to judge whether Ceror's approach was right or wrong, from a racial survival perspective, the decision made a certain tragic sense. Still, the whole situation left a bitter taste in his mouth.

The pain that had festered in Ceror's heart for years, now finally given voice, seemed to provide him some relief. He managed a weak smile. "Karnel, this is why the entire galaxy appears so peaceful and harmonious on the surface. It's the peace of the conquered."

Faced with this sorrowful history, Karnel found himself at a loss for comforting words. Scratching his head thoughtfully, he suddenly asked, "You mentioned the Kaimo have ruled this galaxy for centuries. That means they must know secrets about the universe that others don't, right?"

Maybe I can learn about the broader cosmos from these galactic rulers, Karnel thought. And perhaps find clues about how I ended up in this side of the universe... or discover other strong opponents worth fighting.

Ceror had calmed somewhat but answered hesitantly, "They should know such things, though I can't guarantee it. They certainly don't share information with their subjects."

Seeing the calculating expression on Karnel's face, Ceror reacted with shock. "You... you're not thinking of seeking out the Kaimo, are you? Please don't! Despite your considerable strength, you can't face an entire galactic empire alone."

"What's there to fear? My power is far beyond what you've witnessed so far," Karnel replied with a dismissive wave. "Let me eliminate this galactic tumor for you and grant your people freedom. Wouldn't that be preferable to your current situation?"

Seeing that Ceror still wanted to dissuade him, Karnel allowed a fraction of his true power to emerge, his combat level spiking to 15 million in base form, causing the very air around them to vibrate with barely contained energy.

"Is this sufficient? If not, I have other means at my disposal," he said calmly, watching Ceror's reaction. "Do you want to continue living like this? You said yourself that you now must surrender one hundred people every fifty years. Given your current population, how much longer can your race endure? You'll face extinction regardless, so why not take the chance to fight back? Do you really want to lead your people to a slow death through submission?"

Ceror staggered backward, overwhelmed by Karnel's battle power. It exceeded his own by more than fifteen times and was several times stronger than even the Kaimo envoys who visited their world.

Karnel's strength offered Ceror something he hadn't felt in decades: hope. Combined with the Saiyan's blunt words, the truth struck Ceror like lightning. "Yes... continuing on this path, our race will eventually be destroyed by the Kaimo anyway. Rather than die slowly through cowardice, perhaps with your power, we might actually..."

"Karnel, you are incredibly powerful, maybe you truly can overthrow Kaimo rule," Ceror said, his voice growing stronger with each word. "You're right. I refuse to die cowering like a beaten animal. If I must die, let it be on the battlefield, like Bargon himself who died fighting against impossible odds."

Blood vessels swelled in Ceror's neck, his face flushing with renewed determination and resolve.

Did he really need to get this worked up? Karnel thought with slight amusement, though he appreciated the Bargon leader's newfound courage.

After Ceror had calmed down from his passionate outburst, Karnel asked, "Do you know the location of the Kaimo homeworld? I prefer to strike directly at their source rather than waste time with intermediaries."

Ceror considered this, then replied with embarrassment, "Unfortunately, I don't. In all these centuries, I've never heard mention of their planet's location. They keep it extremely secret. Each time we've dealt with them, they simply send an envoy in a spacecraft."

"If you don't know their location, that's fine, we'll work around it," Karnel said with a casual wave. "Do you have a way to contact their envoys? We'll capture one and force them to reveal their homeworld's whereabouts."

"There are many Kaimo, and they send different envoys each time to prevent us from forming relationships or gathering intelligence," Ceror explained. "But I do have a method to contact them. I use this device to reach them every fifty years." He produced a round, metallic communication device from his robes.

Karnel examined the alien technology with interest, noting its sophisticated design. "Perfect. Contact them now. Tell them you have an urgent matter requiring immediate attention, something that can't wait for the regular collection cycle."

"But what if they become suspicious?" Ceror asked nervously, still processing the magnitude of what they were planning.

Karnel's expression turned predatory, a hint of his Saiyan nature showing through. "Let them come investigate. They'll discover that their era of galactic oppression is about to end."