"Click."
The sound of the doorknob turning echoed through the deathly silent room.
Bulma leaned casually against the doorframe, a steaming cup of coffee in one hand and an amused smile on her face.
She was still wearing her grease-stained work clothes, with a faint smudge of engine oil across one cheek.
Yet none of that diminished the overwhelming presence of the household's first lady.
"Oh?"
"This is lively."
Bulma blew gently across the surface of her coffee.
"Who was it that said this was 'for science'?"
"Looks more like it's for reproduction."
Krillin felt his scalp go numb.
Enemies in front of him.
Enemies behind him.
And Lazuli standing awkwardly in the middle.
"Honey, weren't you researching Infinite Energy?"
"Did you finally make a breakthrough?"
He desperately tried to change the subject.
"Not yet."
"My brain was fried, so I came out for a break."
Bulma's eyes swept over Lazuli, who was wearing nothing but Krillin's oversized shirt.
Then they settled squarely on Krillin.
"I didn't expect to walk in on such an... enlightening academic exchange."
Launch slowly raised the muzzle of the submachine gun in her hand.
Her blue eyes burned with wild killing intent.
"Krillin."
"Give me one good reason not to turn this blonde girl into Swiss cheese."
"I leave for a few days, and you bring another woman into our bedroom?"
Aki remained silent.
But several thick vines had already crept through the cracks in the floor, sealing off the windows.
By now, Lazuli had recovered from her initial shock.
Who was she?
She was Android 18.
The nightmare that had plunged the future into despair.
Even after becoming human again, her pride hadn't changed.
"Hmph."
She let out a cold snort.
Her sapphire-blue eyes met Launch's gun without the slightest hint of fear.
"You want to fight?"
"I haven't fully adapted to my new body yet..."
"But dealing with the three of you would still be easy."
The room's temperature seemed to plummet.
The tension was so thick that a single spark could have blown the entire mansion sky-high.
Watching the disaster unfold, Krillin knew he couldn't play the coward anymore.
Who was he?
The strongest warrior in the universe.
If he couldn't even keep peace in his own home, how was he supposed to save the world?
"Everyone."
"Sit down."
Krillin stood abruptly.
A commanding aura erupted from him.
It wasn't the bloodlust of battle.
It was the unmistakable authority of the head of the household.
Skill Activated: Head of the Household (Active)
Effect: Within the family home, forcibly reduces the hostility of all female beings. Speech authority increased by 200%.
The air froze for a heartbeat.
Launch blinked.
The gun in her hand lowered instinctively.
Aki's vines stopped growing.
Even Bulma was caught off guard by Krillin's sudden display of confidence.
"What kind of chaos is this?"
Krillin folded his arms and pointed toward the empty space in the middle of the room.
"If everyone has this much energy..."
"Then stop waving guns around."
"We'll settle this like civilized people."
With a flick of his wrist...
Boom!
A brand-new automatic mahjong table appeared in the center of the room.
(Dear readers... I've never had this many wives either. I'm completely out of ideas. Please let me survive these next two chapters so I can finish Lazuli's route. Have mercy!)
"...Mahjong?"
Bulma stared at him.
"You're seriously telling us to play mahjong at a time like this?"
"That's right!"
Krillin confidently marched over and pressed Lazuli into one of the chairs.
"There's no conflict that can't be solved with one round of mahjong."
"And if there is..."
"Then we'll play two rounds."
"The rules are simple."
"The winner is right."
"The loser washes the dishes tonight."
Ten minutes later...
The atmosphere had completely changed.
The tense bedroom had somehow transformed into a game room.
Krillin bustled around like a waiter, carrying tea between the four women.
Every now and then he lit a cigarette for Launch or refilled someone's fruit plate.
"Three Bamboo."
Bulma discarded a tile.
Her sharp eyes immediately locked onto Lazuli, who sat to her left.
"Listen, little sister."
"Just because you're pretty doesn't mean you can do whatever you want around Krillin."
"This household values seniority."
Lazuli remained expressionless.
Her fingers gently brushed across her tiles.
Although she'd lost her mechanical body, her astonishing computational ability and logical thinking remained intact.
To her...
This wasn't merely a game.
It was a battlefield of probability and psychological warfare.
"Pon."
She claimed Bulma's Three Bamboo and calmly discarded another tile.
"Nine Dots."
"Seniority means nothing before absolute ability."
Launch slammed her gun onto the table.
"Oh?"
"You're pretty cocky!"
"Kong!"
"I'll show you that luck is part of strength too!"
Aki silently drew and discarded tiles.
She never said a word.
But the corner of her eye never left Lazuli.
The first round...
Bulma narrowly won through experience.
The second...
Launch somehow scored a massive hand thanks to outrageous luck.
But beginning with the third round...
Everything changed.
Lazuli's mind operated like a precision supercomputer.
She memorized every discarded tile.
Calculated every possible hand.
She even deduced everyone's intentions from the slightest changes in their expressions.
"Self-draw."
"Full Flush."
"All Pungs."
Lazuli calmly revealed her hand.
"I win."
"Nine Gates."
"Blooming after a Kong."
"Heavenly Hand."
An hour later...
Bulma stared at her completely empty chip box.
Her face had turned green.
"You..."
"You're cheating!"
"Are you using X-ray vision?!"
She pointed accusingly at Lazuli.
"A bet is a bet."
Lazuli smiled faintly.
The confident smile of a victor.
"You're simply too predictable, Dr. Bulma."
"Whenever you're building a big hand..."
"Your pupils dilate by half a millimeter."
"I don't believe it!"
"Again!"
Bulma's competitive spirit was completely ignited.
Launch had already put away her gun and rolled up her sleeves.
"This is getting interesting."
"The kid's got a sharp brain."
"Four more rounds!"
Aki looked at Lazuli.
The hostility in her eyes had faded.
It had been replaced with respect.
"Your analytical ability..."
"...is impressive."
Standing nearby, Krillin watched the four women battle fiercely across the table.
He massaged Bulma's shoulders with one hand while pouring Lazuli another glass of water with the other.
He couldn't stop smiling.
Where does friendship between women begin?
First...
A common enemy.
Such as a troublesome husband.
Second...
Gossip.
Third...
The mahjong table.
Sure enough...
After a few rounds, the life-or-death atmosphere from earlier had completely disappeared.
"Hey, Lazuli."
Launch asked while drawing another tile.
"Was your future really that miserable?"
"You couldn't even get cigarettes?"
"...Yeah."
"There was nothing but ruins."
"And dust."
Lazuli answered quietly.
She left one sentence unspoken.
I was the one who caused it...
"Tch."
"That's rough."
Launch tossed her an unopened pack of cigarettes.
"Here."
"My treat."
"Stick with me from now on."
"You'll never run out."
Bulma continued gossiping while steadily losing money.
"So..."
"Did anything happen between you and Krillin over there?"
"N-No."
Lazuli blushed.
She almost dropped her tiles.
"He..."
"He only captured me."
Bulma rolled her eyes.
"Who would believe that?"
"That bald idiot looks honest."
"But he's got plenty of tricks up his sleeve."
"You'd better keep an eye on him."
Launch nodded in agreement.
"Exactly."
"He even brought home an alien princess before."
The conversation drifted naturally from one topic to another.
Only Aki remained as quiet and graceful as ever.
Krillin felt genuinely touched.
Maybe he should make her something extra delicious sometime.
...
Listening to the women teasing Krillin...
The walls around Lazuli's heart slowly crumbled.
So...
This family wasn't nearly as unwelcoming as she'd imagined.
Each of these women had completely different personalities.
Yet somehow...
They were surprisingly easy to get along with.
The night grew late.
The game finally ended.
Lazuli emerged as the undisputed champion.
She not only won every last bit of Bulma's cash...
She also earned her place in this home.
"Um..."
While packing away the chips, Lazuli looked toward Launch, who was preparing to head upstairs.
"Don't you mind?"
"I mean..."
"Krillin has so many women around him."
Launch stopped.
She looked back at Lazuli.
Then glanced toward Krillin, who was cleaning up the mahjong table.
A wild grin spread across her face.
"Mind?"
"Why would I?"
"In a world where the strong survive..."
"The strongest deserve more."
"Besides..."
"That bald guy's stamina is ridiculous."
"The few of us alone can't wear him out."
After saying that...
Launch shot Lazuli a meaningful smile before heading upstairs with a whistle.
Lazuli froze.
Her cheeks burned bright red.
His stamina... is ridiculous?
Without thinking...
She looked toward Krillin.
At that exact moment...
She met his unusually bright eyes beneath the warm lights.
"Ahem."
Krillin walked over with a grin worthy of the Big Bad Wolf.
"So..."
"Lazuli."
"The guest room's ready."
"You can sleep there tonight."
"O-Okay..."
Avoiding his gaze in embarrassment, Lazuli hugged the pile of money she'd won and hurried into the guest room as though she were fleeing for her life.
Run?
Where exactly do you think you can run?
Krillin chuckled to himself as he cracked his knuckles.
Tonight... it's finally time to win her over.
--------------------------------
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