me. Go tend to your own business."
Understood.
Levos glanced at the severed forearm lying nearby. A faint silver glint sparkled between Zamasu's fingers.
A Time Ring.
So that's what it looked like...
Unfortunately, only divine beings could wield it. A mortal like himself had no way of using it to traverse time.
Still, he couldn't help but worry. If Frieza got his hands on it, could he eventually learn how to use it?
Levos knew one thing for certain: he was still far too weak to confront Frieza head-on. If the emperor ever sought power beyond this dimension...
Frieza's tail curled tightly around Zamasu's body.
"Now then, tell me everything you know," he whispered, eyes gleaming with malice. "If you cooperate, I might let you suffer a little less."
Levos understood immediately. Frieza intended to torture the truth out of Zamasu.
He had to go.
Levos took a deep breath, bowed respectfully to Frieza, and turned to leave.
Moments after he flew out of sight, a tortured scream echoed behind him. It was Zamasu, shrieking in pain.
Once out of Frieza's range, Levos used Instant Transmission and returned to the Lookout.
There, Bulma and the others had already recovered from their injuries.
The moment Levos arrived, they rushed toward him, relief and sorrow etched into their faces. The mood was heavy. He didn't even have to ask. He knew the children were on everyone's mind.
Zamasu deserved to die a thousand deaths.
"Once we gather all the Dragon Balls," Levos assured them, "we'll be able to wish them back."
That lit a spark of hope. Faces brightened slightly.
Bulma sighed softly. "That's all we can do now."
Suddenly, Levos coughed up blood and staggered.
"Levos! What's wrong?" Bulma cried, catching him quickly.
"Cough… it's nothing. Just the aftereffects of the Kaioken," he said, forcing a smile. He had pushed his body past its limits using the 20x Kaioken during his fight with Zamasu.
"I'll heal you!" Dende rushed over and cast a healing spell.
A warm energy enveloped Levos, like rain falling on parched earth. The damaged cells in his body drank in the power eagerly, restoring him from the inside out.
Moments later, Levos felt lighter, looser. The pain was gone.
This was the legendary healing power of the Namekians. Incredible.
"Now that I'm healed..." Levos straightened and turned to Bulma. "Why did Zamasu target you guys in the first place?"
"Zamasu?" The others blinked, clearly unfamiliar with the name.
Levos quickly explained who he was.
"As soon as he showed up, he demanded we hand over the Dragon Balls," Pilaf said grimly.
So it was the Dragon Balls that exposed their location.
But how had Zamasu even known they were here?
No matter how he thought about it, Levos couldn't figure it out.
Bulma removed a box from her waist and opened it, revealing the Dragon Balls inside.
"Thankfully, that Zamasu only knew the general location. He didn't know the exact hiding spot."
That was a relief.
Levos suddenly remembered something. He pulled out the Dragon Radar to check the position of the remaining two Dragon Balls.
They were both still in West City.
Meanwhile, Frieza was thousands of miles away in the Central Capital.
"Lord Pilaf," Levos asked, "is the shielding device I asked you to build ready?"
Pilaf nodded enthusiastically. "Thanks to Dr. Bulma's help, the container was finished ahead of schedule."
Shu stepped forward, presenting a container the size of a washbasin.
Levos loaded the Dragon Balls inside and packed the whole thing into his backpack.
He turned to the group. "Lord Pilaf, I need you to stay here for now. Bulma, Android 16 let's head to West City and rendezvous with the others."
"We've got Pilaf's mech suits!" said Mai, excited.
Pilaf paled instantly. "Mai, are you crazy? My tech is nowhere near strong enough to fight those monsters!"
"Don't sell yourself short, Lord Pilaf!" Shu said, eyes sparkling with admiration. "You're smarter than all of us combined! I believe in you!"
"...You guys are insane." Pilaf groaned, then broke into a wry smile. "Ah well, the world's ending anyway. Might as well go out with a bang."
Levos chuckled inwardly. They wouldn't be much help in a real fight, but the fact they were willing to stand and fight at all spoke volumes.
Perhaps they truly weren't villains anymore.
"Alright. We've got a plan. Earth still has a fighting chance," Levos said seriously. "And you all have an important task too."
"What task?"
"Protect the Guardian of Earth." His tone was solemn.
Without another word, Levos took Android 16 and Bulma and used Instant Transmission.
In the blink of an eye, they arrived at West City.
A wave of smoke and gunpowder blasted into their faces.
The entire city had become a battlefield.
Under the new rules, the people here had descended into mindless slaughter.
Gunfire echoed in every alley. Explosions rocked the buildings. Tanks, jets, and mechs rumbled through the streets. The skyline was burning.
Buildings crumbled. Cars flipped. Screams filled the air.
It was hell on Earth.
The Martial Arts Tournament had already begun.
Every team was now locked in a brutal war for survival.
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