Uchiha Chiga looked at the faint glow in his palm and muttered softly to himself,
"As I thought, Ki can be absorbed as well."
To him, it made perfect sense. Ki was nothing more than the life energy produced by the body. The God Tree had always thrived on such energy, feeding upon it in countless worlds. The only difference was that lesser God Trees first planted seeds of chakra in a host before reclaiming it once it had grown stronger.
But Chiga was different. He had consumed the fruit of the ultimate Divine Tree. To him, all life energy—whether chakra or Ki—was a nourishing tonic.
With a thought, the Ki swirling in his palm condensed into a glowing blue orb. Yamcha's eyes widened in disbelief.
"W-What?! That's my Spirit Ball!"
Chiga raised one finger, the orb hovering at its tip, and flicked it toward Yamcha. The attack flew faster than the original technique ever could, halting only a short distance from Yamcha's face.
Cold sweat trickled down Yamcha's temple. He remembered clearly—the Spirit Ball was never this fast. Had it actually struck him, he doubted he would still be standing.
Then, before he could react, the orb disintegrated into countless shimmering motes of light and vanished.
When the haze cleared, Chiga was smiling calmly.
"Yamcha, the match is over."
With a casual flick to Yamcha's forehead, Chiga ended it. Yamcha's eyes rolled back, and he collapsed onto the ground unconscious.
The suddenness of it all left Bulma and the others frozen, unable to even rush to Yamcha's side. Their gazes were locked instead on Chiga.
Lazuli broke the silence. Letting out a cheer, she rushed over, stood on her toes, and planted a quick kiss on Chiga's cheek.
"Chiga, you were incredible!"
Chiga chuckled and gently patted her head, then turned to Bulma.
"Miss Bulma, Yamcha has fainted. Should we take him to a hospital?"
Bulma blinked herself back to her senses. Her eyes lingered on Chiga with a complicated look before she shook her head.
"No… I'll have someone send him later. Honestly, I never imagined you'd be this strong, Chiga."
Mrs. Brief chimed in with admiration.
"Are you truly just a student, dear? With strength like that, it's surprising you haven't entered more tournaments!"
Chiga smiled lightly as he slid his black-rimmed glasses back on.
"Hehe, compared to fighting, I prefer learning. Knowledge can change destiny, after all."
Just like Gohan once believed, he thought quietly to himself.
Bulma's impression of him shifted again. As a scientist, she respected that sentiment deeply. Before she could respond, Lazuli clung to Chiga's arm, flashing Bulma a wary glance before smiling politely at Mrs. Brief.
"It's late. We should go back now."
Without waiting for an answer, she tugged Chiga along. He gave a helpless little wave to Bulma as he was dragged away.
After they left, Mrs. Brief leaned toward her daughter.
"Bulma, aren't you going to check on Yamcha?"
Bulma gave Yamcha a quick, unimpressed glance and scoffed.
"No need. It's his fault for slacking off in training. Chiga only flicked him, and he went down. Just have some employees carry him inside."
…
The walk back was quiet, but Lazuli's gaze lingered on Chiga's profile. It became so intense that he finally turned to her with a sigh.
"What is it? Do I have a flower stuck to my face?"
She giggled softly.
"No… I just think you looked really handsome today. Especially without your glasses."
Chiga raised an eyebrow.
"It's not the first time you've seen me without them. Is it really that different?"
"This time is different," she admitted. "But it's a good thing you wear them. Otherwise…"
"Otherwise what?" he teased.
"Nothing!" she said quickly, brushing golden strands from her forehead. Otherwise, who knows how many girls would fall for you at first sight, she thought privately.
Chiga adjusted his glasses with a faint smile.
"If you dislike them, I don't need to wear them. I can take them off."
He reached for the frame, but Lazuli panicked. Grabbing his hand, she blurted, "Don't! Don't take them off—I like both versions of you!"
"Oh?" His playful gaze lingered on her. "What was that? You like me?"
Her cheeks burned hot. Everyone already assumed they were a couple, and she herself had long thought so, yet she had never voiced it aloud. Her slip just now was dangerously close to a confession.
For a moment, she hesitated. Then, lifting her chin with quiet resolve, she confessed,
"Chiga… I like you."
His steps faltered, and for a heartbeat, silence lingered between them. Then his lips curved into a teasing grin.
"Oh? You like me, do you? Should I be worried this is just some passing fancy of yours?"
Her cheeks flushed, and she clenched her fists at her sides. "I mean it!"
Seeing her earnestness, Chiga chuckled softly. The playfulness in his eyes melted into warmth as he pulled her into his arms. His voice dropped, steady and sincere.
"Then… okay, Lazuli, let's date."
"Mm…"
The soft hum of her reply trembled against his chest, but Chiga caught it easily. He stroked her back, steadying the storm of emotions within her. As the sunset bathed the world in gold and crimson, their lips met in a quiet, lingering kiss.
Lazuli grew bolder, openly clinging to his arm on the walk home, ignoring the curious stares of passersby. When they reached her doorstep, she looked at the door with faint annoyance.
Why is this road so short? she thought bitterly.
Spotting a motorcycle parked nearby, she clenched her fists. Lapis. Tonight, you're going to pay for ruining my moment.
Turning back to Chiga, she hesitated for only a second before saying with reluctance,
"This is where we stop. I'll see you in class tomorrow."
Chiga smiled warmly.
"Then I'll be waiting. See you tomorrow, Lazuli."
"Mm! See you tomorrow!"
This time, Chiga didn't hold back. His body flickered, vanishing into thin air.
Lazuli stood there, her heart still racing, her lips tingling from the kiss, and a smile tugging at her face.