NOVEL WEB Chapter 32: Shadows in the Sky
The wind over Namek's open fields was quiet—but not peaceful.
Smoke curled from the remains of another Namekian village. Houses—round domes carved from the land itself—lay in ruin, crushed inward or blown apart by blasts. The bodies of Namekian elders and warriors littered the ground, motionless.
In the sky above, Dodoria hovered with a crooked grin, dragging a young Namekian boy by the collar of his robes. The child—Dende—struggled, fists pounding uselessly against Dodoria's wrist.
"You Namekians are all the same," Dodoria grunted, spitting to the side. "No fight. Just a bunch of crying cowards."
He raised a hand, charging a pink energy blast in his palm.
"Let him go!" The voice cut the sky like a blade.
Dodoria turned—startled—and saw two Earthlings descending fast from a rocky cliff above. One short, bald, furious. The other—young, black-haired—burning with righteous fury.
Gohan shot forward, and in a burst of speed too fast to track, slammed his foot into Dodoria's wrist, knocking Dende free. The boy tumbled through the air—only to be caught by Krillin, who dipped low to the ground and shielded him with his body.
Dodoria roared, grabbing his bruised arm. "You little—!"
He didn't finish. Gohan's punch caught him in the mouth, spinning the brute mid-air.
Then Krillin jumped in. The two Earthlings fought like they'd been training for this their whole lives—and in a way, they had. Dodoria launched wide, brute-force swings, each one slow and easy to dodge. Gohan slipped under an arm and blasted him in the gut. Krillin followed up with a twin solar flare that blinded Dodoria for a second too long.
The last strike came fast. Krillin grabbed Gohan's hand, spun, and slingshotted him forward.
The boy's charged punch slammed into Dodoria's chest—and sent him hurtling through three stone pillars before he finally collapsed in a crater, groaning.
He didn't get back up.
Gohan hovered, breathing hard, heart pounding. Krillin landed beside him, still ready for a second round—but it never came.
"…We got him," Gohan said, staring wide-eyed.
Krillin nodded. "No idea how, but we did."
Behind them, Dende looked like he was still trying to process what just happened.
"Y-You saved me," he whispered.
Gohan smiled and knelt. "You okay?"
"I think so."
"You know a place we can go?" Krillin asked. "Somewhere safe?"
Dende hesitated… then nodded.
A Few Miles Away – In Orbit
The ship hissed as the ramp descended. Cui swaggered down like he'd just arrived at a red carpet event. His scouter beeped faintly, reading the rising power levels in the atmosphere.
"Vegeta," he muttered. "Still hiding like a coward?"
No answer.
Then, from behind a nearby boulder, Vegeta stepped into the light. He looked different—heavier aura, deadlier gaze.
"Cui," he said simply.
Cui straightened. "There you are. Lord Frieza said you might go rogue after that mess on Earth. Looks like he was right."
Vegeta cracked his knuckles. "I don't take orders from Frieza anymore."
Cui laughed. "Oh, really? You planning to challenge him next?"
"No," Vegeta said, stepping forward. "I plan to bury him after I bury you."
Cui flinched, then sneered. "Your power level used to be just above mine. If you're bluffing—"
Vegeta vanished.
One moment, Cui was standing confidently. The next, he was spinning, arm shattered from a blow he hadn't even seen coming.
Vegeta reappeared behind him, grabbing him by the neck. "You rely too much on scouters. You never learned to feel power. You never learned anything."
He tossed Cui into the sky like garbage. Then, with one hand pointed lazily upward, he fired.
The blast roared through the sky like a dragon of light—and when it cleared, there was nothing left of Cui but smoke.
Vegeta didn't smirk. Didn't gloat. He just lowered his hand.
"My story starts here," he muttered, turning his back on the scorched sky. "And I'm not playing support anymore."
Guru's Tower – Hours Later
The stone door opened slowly, revealing a towering hallway glowing with gentle blue light. Every step Krillin and Gohan took felt like it echoed through centuries.
At the end sat Guru.
The eldest Namekian, massive and ancient, almost a part of the planet itself. He breathed slowly, his head bowed, one hand resting on his throne.
Dende stepped forward first. "Grand Elder. These are the ones who saved me."
Guru opened his eyes. They glowed softly, wise and warm. "Welcome, children of Earth. Come closer."
Krillin hesitated, then bowed. "We came to help. But we need to be stronger. Frieza's already here. We don't have much time."
Guru nodded slowly. "You are not warriors by birth… but your hearts shine bright."
He raised a hand, gesturing to Gohan.
The boy stepped forward, nervous.
Guru placed a heavy palm on Gohan's head—and the chamber pulsed.
Gohan gasped, eyes wide. "What was that?!"
"A door," Guru said softly. "One you were always meant to walk through."
Krillin stepped up next, swallowing hard. "I don't suppose there's one of those doors for bald guys?"
Guru chuckled lowly. "Even courage deserves reward."
Krillin looked at his hands, stunned. "I… I feel incredible."
Guru leaned back, breathing heavier now.
"You must go," he said. "Frieza is gathering the Dragon Balls. If he succeeds, this planet—and many others—will fall."
Gohan bowed deeply. "We won't let that happen."
Outside, storm clouds had begun to roll in—unnatural and slow.
The calm was over.
And the storm was coming.