Dragon Ball: Ascension

Dawn had not yet broken over Bargon, the sky still painted in dim twilight hues. Despite the early hour, Ceror and his elite warriors had already gathered at their training site, a routine they'd maintained religiously for the past month. Karnel emerged from the gravity chamber, having completed his own late-night training session.

The group's attention was immediately drawn skyward, where a dark silhouette moved against the stars. A Kaimo spacecraft was descending toward their planet.

"Karnel," Ceror said grimly, his face etched with tension, "after a month of waiting, the Kaimo have finally arrived."

The irony wasn't lost on any of them. Just yesterday they'd been wondering when the retaliation would come. Now here it was, approaching their world with unmistakable hostile intent.

"Perfect timing to test the results of your training," Karnel said with characteristic calm. "They've found us and are moving in fast. Don't worry too much, without knowing the true strength of this planet, they won't send their most powerful warriors. This is likely just a reconnaissance force, probably not much stronger than that fool Wright I dealt with."

Aboard the Kaimo vessel, a subordinate approached his commander with urgent news. "Lord Thorne, we're detecting fourteen powerful energy signatures gathered at the tribute collection site. They appear to have spotted us."

"Good. Let them see us coming," Thorne replied, rising from his command chair with predatory satisfaction. "We weren't trying to hide anyway. Take us straight down to the landing site. Time to give these primitives a proper greeting."

The spacecraft descended without ceremony, touching down in the same clearing where Wright had met his end. Both sides maintained an tense standoff during the landing, neither opening fire, but both clearly prepared for violence.

Nine Kaimo warriors emerged from the vessel. Thorne led the group, his pale form imposing in dark combat armor, while eight subordinates flanked him. Behind them came several dozen enslaved soldiers from other conquered worlds.

"That must be their leader," Barok whispered, analyzing the enemy formation. The second-strongest Bargonian warrior had positioned himself beside Ceror, ready for battle.

Thorne stepped forward with casual arrogance. "Bargonians! You dared use trickery to murder one of our tribute collectors. Emperor Keslow is furious and has ordered your entire planet erased from existence. Resistance is futile."

In Thorne's mind, these backwards primitives couldn't possibly have defeated a Kaimo warrior in fair combat. It had to have been some sort of trap or ambush, cowardly tactics from an inferior species.

Ceror stepped forward without flinching, meeting the Kaimo commander's gaze directly. "How we killed Wright is irrelevant. The fact remains that we have the power to do so. Feel free to test that for yourself."

"Excellent!" Thorne's lips curled into a cruel smile. "I appreciate defiant natives, they make the conquest more entertaining. You've successfully angered me." He gestured dismissively to his subordinates. "All eight of you, kill them."

"Yes, Lord Thorne!"

"Stupid barbarians," one of the Kaimo soldiers snarled, his eyes glowing with bloodthirsty anticipation. "Why couldn't you simply accept our rule? Now I'll tear the bones from your bodies and let you experience death slowly."

The eight Kaimo warriors began radiating their battle auras. Even from a distance, it was clear that each soldier possessed significantly more power than Wright had.

"The seven strongest fighters with me," Ceror commanded quietly. "The remaining six stay back and watch for openings. If any of us gets in serious trouble, don't hesitate to gang up on the enemy. We're fighting invaders, there's no honor in letting our people die for the sake of fair play."

"Understood, leader!" the reserve warriors responded with grim determination.

Ceror's expression hardened as he led his elite squad toward the eight approaching Kaimo. Barok stayed close beside him, while their five other strongest warriors spread into combat formation.

Meanwhile, Karnel remained on the sidelines, feeling somewhat ignored by the whole proceedings. Didn't he have any presence at all in this fight?

"Hey there, horn-head," Karnel called out to Thorne with deliberate provocation. "Want to know exactly how your friend Wright died?" With nothing else to occupy his attention while watching Ceror's squad engage the enemy soldiers, Karnel decided to have some fun with the Kaimo commander.

Thorne had been keeping a wary eye on the battle, concerned despite his outward confidence. A low-level Kaimo had somehow died on this backwater world, and while he was certainly stronger than his predecessor, overconfidence could be deadly.

"I suppose I was overthinking this," Thorne mused as he watched his warriors immediately gain the upper hand. "That collector was probably just overwhelmed by superior numbers." Several of the native fighters were already bloodied and struggling, confirming his assessment that raw strength would carry the day.

"Still, these primitives are stronger than expected, almost comparable to our junior warriors. All the more reason to exterminate them completely..." His strategic thoughts were interrupted by Karnel's mocking voice.

Thorne turned to see a human staring at him with infuriating smugness. The casual disrespect in those eyes made his blood boil. "You dare address me with such insolence? You're the first native bold enough to try. I'll give you one chance to explain yourself before I devour you alive."

The words had barely left his mouth when Karnel vanished.

In the next instant, Thorne felt something slam into his skull with tremendous force. His vision exploded into white sparks as he found himself driven deep into the ground, buried up to his neck with only his head visible above the surface.

Karnel stood over the buried Kaimo commander, one foot pressed firmly against his skull. "I told you there was someone just like you who talked to me that way. Now you know exactly how he died."

Thorne's mind reeled, struggling to comprehend what had just happened. One moment he'd been standing triumphantly over the battlefield, the next, he was buried like a fence post with this "inferior" being grinding his face into the dirt.

"Impossible... how dare a primitive life form treat me this way!" Rage consumed every fiber of Thorne's being as the humiliation sank in. "This is the ultimate shame! I'll tear you apart!"

His vision began turning red as fury overwhelmed his rational mind.