The storm still howled through the ruins of West City, carrying smoke and dust high into the sky. Rudra stood among the broken towers, his breathing calm despite the devastation around him. The ground trembled faintly beneath his boots as Android 17 and 18 slowly rose again from the rubble, eyes burning with defiance.
Rudra's aura shimmered like molten gold, yet his expression was unreadable — neither anger nor hatred, only purpose.
Android 17 dusted off his jacket and smirked. "You really think you can stop us both at once? Brave… but stupid."
Android 18 cracked her knuckles. "You should've finished me when you had the chance."
Rudra's gaze sharpened. "I don't want to destroy you. Not yet."
That single sentence made both Androids pause.
17 frowned. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"I need you alive," Rudra said firmly, closing his eyes for a brief moment. "There are answers I need — and your existence might be the key."
Then, his hand rose slowly to his chest. A faint red light pulsed beneath his palm. The air began to vibrate with divine resonance.
"Come forth… the blade of my consciousness."
A sudden flash of golden light exploded from within Rudra's body. Out of his very consciousness — from the spiritual space deep within his being — emerged a gleaming sword. The weapon was elegant yet ancient, its hilt engraved with patterns that resembled constellations. The edge shimmered like flowing light, humming softly as though alive.
When the sword fully materialized, it released a deep whum that echoed through the ruins.
This is the same sword that Rudra used against the Androids of Future Trunks' timeline. This sword was made by Zalama himself, which is the rarest metal in the universe.Because of this, this sword can absorb any Artificial Ki.
Android 18 shielded her eyes from the glow. "What… kind of weapon is that?"
Rudra raised the sword, the faint reflection of his determined eyes glinting across the blade. "A gift… from a person."
Both Androids instinctively stepped back. A faint vibration ran through their metallic frames — their sensors reacting violently to the divine energy flowing from the sword.
17 clenched his fists. "I don't care what you're holding. You're still outnumbered."
He vanished from sight, appearing behind Rudra with a flurry of rapid punches. Each strike whistled through the air like gunfire — but every one of them met the smooth, unyielding edge of Rudra's blade.
Clang! Clash! Sparks!
Rudra's movements were fluid and precise, each parry followed by a counter that forced 17 backward. 18 joined the fray, launching a high kick aimed at Rudra's temple — but he pivoted smoothly, blocking with the flat side of his sword.
"You're fast," Rudra said calmly, sliding back across the cracked ground, "but predictable."
Android 17 scowled. "Tch! You're not even breaking a sweat!"
Rudra didn't answer. Instead, he closed his eyes briefly. His breathing slowed, his aura dimmed — and suddenly, he vanished.
"What the—?" 18 spun around, scanning the battlefield. "Where did he—"
A sound like thunder split the air.
Far away, Rudra reappeared, hovering mid-air, holding the sword with both hands. His body was still, his mind perfectly focused.
"Absorb… the false energy of man-made gods."
The blade of his sword pulsed, then blazed with a red-white glow. Rudra swung once — not toward them, but through the open air itself.
The swing didn't release Ki, nor fire, nor energy. It released silence.
For a single heartbeat, the world froze — and then the air itself detonated.
The very space where the sword had cut opened like a wound, a vacuum forming that sucked in air, dust, and debris at terrifying speed. When the pressure equalized, it exploded outward — sending a roaring gale hurtling toward Android 17 and 18 like a divine storm.
"Wha—?! What is this!?" 17 shouted, raising his arms in defense.
18 screamed as the storm engulfed them both, hurling chunks of buildings and metal into the air.
The storm was not made of Ki — it was the raw backlash of absorbed artificial energy. The sword's power turned the residual Ki of their own bodies against them, compressing it into a wave of destruction.
Through the storm's chaos, Rudra's eyes glowed red. "Now."
He vanished again.
Whoosh!
He appeared within the gale, moving effortlessly through the storm as though the air itself parted for him. Closing his eyes, he extended his spiritual sense outward.
Their weak points… where the energy flows cease…
Within the noise of battle, Rudra's consciousness found it — the single point of vulnerability in their bodies. The heart.
Rudra opened his eyes. "Found it."
He appeared behind 17, his movements silent as shadow, and pressed two fingers gently to 17's chest. A soft pulse of energy escaped his fingertips — barely visible, yet it struck with pinpoint precision.
Android 17's eyes widened. "Wh–What did you—"
He collapsed instantly, consciousness fading as his body powered down.
Before 18 could react, Rudra appeared before her and did the same. His touch was light, but the technique carried the perfect resonance of sealing energy.
18's vision blurred. "You… you didn't kill us…?"
Rudra caught her gently before she hit the ground. "No. You're still useful."
Then she, too, fell unconscious.
Rudra knew that Android 17 & 18 were necessary in this original timeline of Dragon Ball.Because Android 18 will satisfy Krillin and Android 17 will ask for a wish to bring back all the erased universes in the tournament of power, which is very important.
---
Silence fell. The storm settled. The ruined city was still again, save for the faint hum of Rudra's sword returning to its resting glow.
He stood between the two fallen Androids, looking down at them with calm eyes.
"Even weapons of man… can be turned toward something greater."
He crouched down, placing a hand on each of them. Golden chakra seals began to appear beneath their bodies — glowing inscriptions spiraling outward in intricate patterns.
"Time to finish this."
In a blink of light, all three — Rudra and the two unconscious Androids — vanished.
---
When Rudra reappeared, it was high above the clouds — at the Lookout. The air was peaceful here, carrying the scent of incense and ancient marble. The white tiles beneath his feet gleamed under the sun.
Mr. Popo, standing near the edge of the platform, turned as the air shimmered.
"Rudra?" he asked, his tone calm but surprised. "You've returned."
You all might be wondering how Popo is alive, the thing is that Popo was never died.
"I need to use the Divine Cage," Rudra said simply.
Popo's eyes widened slightly. "You mean… the sealing artifact the Guardians used to imprison demons in the old era?"
"Yes." Rudra's expression was steady. "These two aren't ordinary beings. They must be contained — safely."
Popo nodded silently and gestured toward the far side of the Lookout, where a small pedestal stood. Upon it rested an object resembling a bottle-shaped mug — small, ornate, its surface carved with divine runes and sealing symbols that glowed faintly in the light.
Rudra extended his hand toward it. "Divine Cage… awaken."
The runes across the mug flared to life, filling the air with a soft, ethereal hum. A sealing paper floated beside it, golden letters glowing with celestial energy. Rudra laid the unconscious bodies of 17 and 18 side by side on the marble floor.
He began writing runes in the air with his sword — each symbol folding into the next like a sacred chant. "By the will of creation, by the seal of divine order… return to stillness."
The sealing paper wrapped itself around both Androids, the script tightening as if forming invisible chains.
A vortex of golden energy opened above the bottle.
"Sealing technique — Divine Confinement!"
Both Androids' bodies shimmered and began to shrink, their physical forms dissolving into light that streamed toward the bottle. With a final flash, they vanished completely inside.
The bottle's lid clicked shut. The glow faded, leaving only silence — peaceful and absolute.
Rudra exhaled slowly, lowering his sword. "It's done."
He placed the Divine Cage back onto the pedestal, his reflection glinting faintly across the polished surface. The bottle was small — unassuming — but inside it slept two of Earth's deadliest creations.
He turned toward the horizon.
"One step closer," he murmured. "Now… only Cell remains."
The wind swept across the Lookout, carrying his words into the endless blue sky.
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