West City's shopping district glittered beneath a sea of neon lights.
Massive holographic billboards floated overhead, advertising the newest Capsule Corporation hover cars.
Fashionably dressed men and women strolled past one another, every face carrying the relaxed ease that only existed in an era of true peace.
Lazuli walked through the crowded streets with every muscle in her body taut as a drawn bow.
Too noisy.
Too bright.
Too many people.
In her memories, a crowd this dense meant only one thing.
Targets.
All it would take was raising a hand.
One energy blast.
The noise would disappear, replaced by screams and explosions.
Her fingers twitched instinctively.
The vast power of her Infinite Energy Core stirred within her.
"Relax."
A warm hand gently covered the back of hers, pressing down the murderous impulse before it could erupt.
Krillin walked beside her.
He wasn't wearing his Turtle School gi today.
Instead, he had changed into a casual jacket and jeans, looking like nothing more than a well-built young man out for the day.
"This isn't the wasteland."
"No one here is going to hurt you."
"And you don't need to hurt anyone."
His voice echoed directly inside her mind through telepathy.
"Try looking at them differently."
"They aren't targets."
"They're people."
"They're living their lives."
Lazuli took a slow breath, forcing the instinct to destroy everything back into the depths of her mind.
"Hmph."
"They're just weak."
She scoffed.
Yet, without realizing it, she stepped a little closer to Krillin.
"Come on."
"Let's go into this one."
Krillin led her into an extravagant luxury boutique.
Ten minutes later...
"Well?"
"What do you think?"
The dressing room curtain opened.
Lazuli stepped out wearing an elegant black off-the-shoulder evening gown.
Its tailored silhouette hugged every curve of her flawless figure.
Her golden bob shimmered beneath the lights.
Combined with her naturally icy beauty, she looked every bit like a queen descending from her throne.
Every sales associate in the store froze.
Several of them forgot to breathe.
Krillin rubbed his chin, genuine admiration flashing across his face.
Then he gave a thumbs-up.
"Perfect."
"We're buying it."
"What about this one?"
Another ten minutes passed.
This time, Lazuli emerged wearing denim shorts and a cropped T-shirt.
Youthful.
Energetic.
Her impossibly long legs were almost criminally eye-catching.
"Bought."
"And this?"
She changed into a sleek biker jacket with matching leather pants.
"Bought."
"This one?"
A soft floral sundress gave her an unexpectedly sweet and innocent charm.
"Bought."
"Wrap them all."
Krillin had become an emotionless credit card machine.
Bulma's black premium card blurred through the air as he paid without even glancing at the total.
At first, Lazuli had resisted.
But outfit after outfit...
Looking into the mirror...
She no longer saw the cold killing machine she had believed herself to be.
Instead...
She saw someone radiant.
Someone beautiful.
So...
I can look like this?
Being complimented...
Feels better than hearing people scream...
"Isn't..."
"Isn't this enough?"
Looking at the mountain of shopping bags piling up around them, Lazuli suddenly felt embarrassed.
"This must cost a fortune."
"Money?"
Krillin chuckled.
"If it can make a beautiful woman smile..."
"What does money matter?"
Just as they were about to leave...
The unexpected happened.
"Nobody move!"
"This is a robbery!"
Three masked men burst into the boutique carrying assault rifles.
Without hesitation, they fired into the ceiling.
Rat-tat-tat-tat!
Screams erupted instantly.
Customers dropped to the floor or fled in panic.
The sales staff hid beneath the counters.
"Hand over the cash!"
"And that black card too!"
The leader leveled his rifle.
Not at Krillin.
At Lazuli.
She was simply too beautiful.
Beautiful enough to awaken his greed.
"Heh."
"I knew rich places had better-looking women."
He reached out with a lecherous grin, trying to touch her face.
Lazuli's expression changed instantly.
The blue in her eyes vanished into an icy abyss.
Her fingertips moved ever so slightly.
An energy blast powerful enough to erase the three robbers and half the street had already gathered at her fingertips.
"You want to die..."
Snap.
A crisp finger snap echoed through the store.
Her vision blurred.
Before she realized it, Krillin was already standing in front of her.
"Come on, guys."
"We were having such a nice day."
"Did you really have to ruin the mood?"
He smiled pleasantly.
"Shut up, baldy!"
"You want to die first?"
The robber pulled the trigger.
Rat-tat-tat-tat!
A hail of bullets poured toward Krillin.
Lazuli instinctively prepared to raise a barrier.
Then she noticed...
Krillin hadn't moved.
Not even a step.
He merely lifted two fingers and casually flicked them through the air, as though brushing away a few annoying flies.
Clink.
Clink.
Clink.
Metal rang against the floor.
Everyone stood frozen.
At Krillin's feet lay dozens of flattened bullets.
Every single one had been pinched flat between his fingers.
They looked more like discarded pieces of artwork than ammunition.
"Th... That's impossible!"
The robbers stared in horror.
Their eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.
"What?"
"This was your backup plan?"
Krillin sighed.
His figure disappeared.
The next instant...
Bang!
Bang!
Bang!
Three heavy impacts sounded almost simultaneously.
The robbers flew backward as though they had been hit by speeding trucks.
Each one landed perfectly suspended from a clothing rack mounted on the wall.
They lost consciousness immediately.
The entire fight lasted less than a tenth of a second.
Silence filled the boutique.
Krillin dusted off his hands before turning back toward Lazuli.
"You see?"
"Solving a problem doesn't always require killing someone."
"Sometimes..."
"A gentler approach handles everything just as well."
"And it keeps your brand-new clothes clean."
"Gentle?"
Lazuli glanced at the three unconscious robbers.
At least five ribs each were probably broken.
The corner of her mouth twitched.
"This..."
"You call this gentle?"
"Of course."
Krillin leaned closer and lowered his voice.
"It's a lot gentler than splattering blood all over a dress that costs several million zeni."
Lazuli quietly looked at the man standing before her.
Powerful.
Calm.
Always carrying that playful smile.
Yet...
The moment he stepped in front of her...
The feeling of security he gave her had been as solid as a mountain.
It was real.
"Come on."
"The air here's gotten unpleasant."
Krillin picked up the mountain of shopping bags.
Even though they weighed dozens of pounds, they felt weightless in his hands.
"I'm taking you somewhere even more beautiful."
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