The desert didn't celebrate victories.
When the smoke thinned and the echoes faded, all that remained was heat, wreckage, and the dull throb of pain settling deep into Riku's bones. The adrenaline that had carried him through the fight drained away all at once, leaving his limbs heavy and unresponsive.
He took two steps.
Then the world tilted.
Riku barely had time to register the ground rushing up before hands caught him. Not strong hands—human ones—but firm enough to keep him from collapsing face-first into the sand.
"Idiot," Bulma muttered, straining under his weight. "I knew this would happen."
"I'm… fine," Riku said, which was an obvious lie.
His legs disagreed first. They buckled completely, forcing him down onto one knee. Pain flared across his shoulder and ribs, sharp enough to steal his breath.
Goku crouched in front of him, frowning. "You look worse now than during the fight."
"That's how humans work," Bulma snapped, dragging Riku's arm over her shoulder and pulling him toward the shade of a rock. "They don't get stronger after getting hurt."
Riku managed a weak chuckle. "Bad design."
Bulma shot him a look. "Say that again when you're not bleeding."
She sat him down firmly and went to work, hands moving fast and precise as she cleaned and rewrapped the bandage. Up close, Riku could see the tension she hadn't let herself feel earlier. Her jaw was tight. Her breathing just a little too fast.
"You could've died," she said quietly.
Riku didn't look away. "I know."
That seemed to irritate her more than excuses would have. She tied the bandage off sharply and stood, pacing a few steps before turning back.
"Then why?" she demanded. "You're not stupid. You saw the difference out there. Goku doesn't even have to think about bullets. You do. So why put yourself in front of them?"
Riku leaned back against the stone, staring at the sky. The answer came easily—not because it was simple, but because he'd already lived it.
"Because if I don't," he said, "this world decides I don't matter."
Goku blinked. "But you helped!"
Riku smiled faintly. "That's the point."
Bulma folded her arms, studying him in a way that felt heavier than any wound. Not like she was judging him—but like she was recalculating.
"You're serious about this," she said. "About fighting."
"Yes."
"And you don't have a master."
"No."
"No special technique."
"Not yet."
She clicked her tongue, half-annoyed, half-impressed. "Unbelievable."
The silence that followed was different from before—no danger in it, just thought. Wind rolled over the sand, carrying heat and dust, and somewhere far away something exploded as Goku amused himself again.
Bulma sighed.
"If you keep going like this," she said, "you're going to get yourself killed before you ever catch up."
Riku closed his eyes for a moment, feeling the ache in his body, the faint echo of that focused stillness he'd touched in the fight. Fear hadn't broken him.
It had taught him.
"Then I'll learn faster," he said.
Bulma stared at him, then looked away. "You're impossible."
But when she spoke again, her tone had shifted.
"There's a martial artist," she said. "Old guy. Lives on an island. Strong. Really strong. Goku trained with him."
Goku popped up instantly. "Master Roshi! He's awesome!"
Riku opened his eyes.
"A real master," Bulma continued. "No shortcuts. No tech. If you're serious about fighting as a human… he's your best chance."
Riku felt something settle inside him—not excitement, not relief, but resolve.
"I'll do it," he said.
Bulma glanced back at him, surprised by how immediate the answer was.
"Good," she said. "Because I'm not patching you up like this every week."
Riku smiled, small but genuine.
As the sun dipped lower and the desert stretched on ahead of them, one truth became clear:
Standing had a price.
And Riku was finally ready to pay it.
END OF CHAPTER
Author's Comment:
Thanks for reading! Huge thanks to Decau for the Power Stones—your support genuinely keeps this story moving. From here on, the training arc begins, and the human grind gets real. No shortcuts, no bloodlines—just earned strength. Appreciate every one of you 🐉🔥