West City, Capsule Corporation.
Dr. Brief, leisurely watering a bed of exotic flowers in the courtyard, looked up in surprise as Rhode approached. "Ah, Rhode! You're back. The Gravity Chamber is complete and ready."
"My apologies, Doctor. I was... detained," Rhode said, a hint of genuine chagrin in his voice. He had missed the agreed-upon testing date, his time consumed by stabilizing his newfound power and the explosive clash with Aira.
Dr. Brief waved a dismissive hand, a smudge of engine grease on his wrist. "No matter, no matter! The schedule wasn't disrupted. Speaking of which, Aira is inside the chamber now. Care to take a look?"
Aira's already in there? Rhode's eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly before he gave a calm nod, following the scientist to the newly constructed facility.
"You Saiyans are simply phenomenal," Dr. Brief murmured, gesturing to the readout on the chamber's exterior panel. The digital display clearly showed: *GRAVITY: 30x*. The memory of Aira's initial tests still filled him with awe. "For a human, even five times gravity could be lethal—crushing bones, collapsing organs. But for her? Twenty times was manageable. This, though..." He trailed off, a flicker of concern replacing his scientific wonder. "Rhode, I must say... Aira seems to be wrestling with some... psychological drivers. I think you should keep a close eye on her."
Hm? Rhode turned a questioning look toward the doctor, only to be met with a somber, meaningful gaze before Dr. Brief patted his shoulder and ambled away, leaving Rhode perplexed.
What was that about?
Shaking off the confusion, Rhode moved to the chamber's observation window. What he saw inside was a scene of brutal, self-imposed oppression.
Within the field of intense gravity, Aira was a figure moving through solidified time. Every step was a monumental effort, every punch thrown as if pushing through molten lead. To an outsider, it looked less like training and more like a slow-motion torture session—a koala struggling in tar.
Instantly, Rhode understood the doctor's cryptic warning. She's trying to brute-force her way past me. While her competitive fire was a trait he respected, this reckless disregard for her own limits was a different matter entirely. Thirty times gravity was dangerously excessive for her current level of power.
Locating the external control panel, Rhode quickly began dialing down the gravitational multiplier. Fifteen minutes later, once the environment had normalized, he cycled the door open and stepped inside.
The sight that greeted him stole the reprimand from his lips. Aira was slumped against a wall, her face ghostly pale, her breath a shallow rasp. Her aura felt thin and frayed.
"Do you... have any Senzu Beans left?" he asked, though he was already retrieving one from his own capsule before she could answer.
Gasping for air, Aira managed a weak, defiant glare. "Worried? I'm not going to die," she wheezed, snatching the bean from his hand. She chewed it stubbornly, and color flooded back into her face as her body knitted itself whole in seconds. She sprang to her feet, energy crackling around her anew, her eyes alight with fierce excitement. "Rhode! Let's fight! I can take you now!"
"The fight can wait," Rhode said, his voice dropping into a tone of rare, grave seriousness. He held her gaze, making sure she was listening. "Training in gravity requires a gradual approach. You adapt incrementally to maximize gains and minimize damage. Pushing directly to your absolute limit like that risks serious physical harm. More importantly," he leaned in slightly, "it can damage your growth potential. Permanently."
He gestured between them. "We are still growing. Our bodies can handle strain, even thrive on it, but there is a line. Cross it too often, and you won't just hit a wall—you'll build one inside yourself." His words hung in the sterile air of the chamber, a cold, logical counterpoint to her burning, reckless drive.
Rhode's mind raced with cold comparisons. Even Vegeta, the ultimate training fanatic, pushed his limits as a fully-grown adult. And when he trained with Trunks, he never cranked the gravity so high it immobilized them. Even Goku on his way to Namek had a power level far beyond Aira's current state, and he had the Kaio-ken—a technique that pre-stressed his body for adaptation. And I'd bet that desperate, cornered training still contributed to his heart virus later. The key difference was necessity: Goku had a galactic tyrant waiting for him; his back was against the wall. Aira's drive was purely competitive, fueled by pride and a bruised ego. In Rhode's calculus, that didn't justify potentially crippling her future.
"Really?" Aira whispered, the towel pausing on her forehead. The color drained from her face again, but this time from fear, not exhaustion.
"Yes," Rhode stated, his voice leaving no room for doubt. "It's basic physiology. Strain a sapling too much, and the tree will always be weak."
Damn it! The thought screamed through Aira's mind. The exhilarating rush of her new power curdled into cold dread. All that effort, all that pain—had she just sabotaged herself?
Seeing her world crumble, Rhode relented slightly. So simple-minded, he thought, not without a trace of fondness. For all her ferocity, she was still just a child, easily swayed. "However," he continued, his tone softening, "your period of overexertion was brief. As long as you train smart from now on, there should be no lasting damage."
"R-really? That's… that's a relief!" The tension exploded out of her in a visible slump of her shoulders.
With her panic alleviated, the native Saiyan spirit flared back to life instantly. She bounced on the balls of her feet, her earlier fear replaced by blazing confidence. "Since I'm fine, then, Rhode—let's fight! I can definitely beat you now!"
Rhode didn't answer immediately. He focused, sensing her aura. The raw power was indeed formidable, nearly matching his own after his recent refinements. It was a testament to both her innate talent and her reckless drive.
"What's the matter?" she taunted, a smirk playing on her lips. "Afraid you'll lose?"
A slow, challenging smile spread across Rhode's face. He had made his point about safety. Now, it was time to make another one about hierarchy. "Lose? To you?" He cracked his neck, a quiet pop echoing in the chamber. "Let's find a better venue. We wouldn't want to break the Doctor's new toy before we've even properly used it." He turned and walked toward the exit, the unspoken invitation hanging in the air. The lesson in controlled power was over. The lesson in superior skill was about to begin.
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