At the same time
Behind a highly concealed rocky mountain, Cell was hiding there, having witnessed everything that had just happened.
"T this… what exactly is going on…?"
Cell was so terrified that he almost felt as if he were trapped in some kind of illusion.
Everything before his eyes was far too unbelievable.
Vegeta, someone who should have died long ago, had not only appeared alive and well, but could also transform into a Super Saiyan. The sheer pressure of his presence alone was enough to inspire fear.
Even more absurd was the fact that Son Gohan, who had been toyed with and humiliated by Androids 17 and 18 not long ago, now possessed the power to wipe them out effortlessly.
This was no longer a battle.
It was a one sided massacre.
Androids 17 and 18 had been killed without the slightest chance to resist, and with their deaths, Cell's hope of becoming his Perfect Form vanished completely.
Originally, he had come here hoping to take advantage of the situation, perhaps to scavenge some benefit.
But now?
Forget scavenging.
If he were discovered, his life would almost certainly be forfeit.
At least with his current strength, even if he fought Android 17 or Android 18 one on one, the best he could manage was a draw.
But Son Gohan as he was now?
Gohan could kill him outright.
"No… I have to get out of this cursed place right now," Cell decided inwardly.
"If I do not escape immediately, I will die here."
…
At the center of the battlefield.
Vegeta began clapping slowly.
"Well done," he said calmly.
"Decisive and ruthless. You did not hesitate for even a moment, and you eliminated your enemies in the shortest time possible."
Vegeta did not spare his praise.
Hearing this, Son Gohan smiled faintly in response.
But the smile on his face was strange, subtle, complex, and difficult to read.
"Thank you for the praise," Gohan said softly.
"But… it is finally over."
Having personally destroyed Androids 17 and 18, the calamities that had ravaged this world, an indescribably subtle emotion rose in Gohan's heart.
He should have felt relieved.
He should have let go.
After all, the nightmare that had tormented him for more than a decade had finally ended.
He had defeated the Androids and avenged everyone who had died.
And yet
He could not feel happy.
Instead, it was as if he had lost his direction, even his reason to keep living.
Standing nearby, Vegeta immediately sensed the shift in Gohan's mental state.
"You brat," Vegeta snapped, his tone suddenly stern,
"Do not tell me you think that just because Androids 17 and 18 are dead, there is no reason left to move forward?"
"Hmph. Cut it out. Now is not the time for you to lose your way."
He continued sharply,
"Let me tell you something. The Android crisis is not over yet."
Those words made Gohan freeze, his focus snapping back instantly.
"Not over?" Gohan asked, startled.
"Are you saying… there is still another enemy?"
He knew nothing about Cell's existence.
After all, he had only just awakened, and there had been no time for Vegeta to explain the full situation.
"Of course," Vegeta replied coldly.
"So do not get complacent just because you defeated 17 and 18."
Before Gohan could respond, Vegeta changed tone again.
"And it is not just the Androids. Greater crises await you in the future. I will say this plainly. There are countless beings in this universe far stronger than you can imagine."
"Even I," Vegeta said, eyes sharp,
"am nothing more than an ant before some of them."
"And yet I am still pushing forward."
"So what right do you have to talk about peace and retirement already?"
Vegeta's words struck Gohan like a hammer to the head.
"I understand," Gohan replied at once, his body trembling.
"Uncle Vegeta… I was being arrogant."
Then, his expression hardened with resolve.
"The future of this world… I will protect it."
His words carried weight, like a solemn oath.
He finally realized that in this world, apart from himself and Trunks, there were no other warriors left.
If even he lost the will to move forward, then what future would remain?
Could it really be entrusted to a Trunks who had yet to fully mature?
Thinking back to the spiritual world he had entered while unconscious, he realized that he had already understood this truth back then.
Now, with his resolve fully settled, he was prepared to shoulder the burden of protecting the world.
"Good," Vegeta nodded in satisfaction.
"Even if this Earth is already sliding toward ruin, who is to say what the future holds?"
As he spoke, Vegeta's gaze shifted toward the distance.
Toward Cell's hiding place.
Now that Gohan's psychological barrier had been dealt with, it was time to finish off the final insect.
"You have watched long enough," Vegeta said coldly.
"Come out already, Cell."
The moment Vegeta's voice echoed across the land, the Cell who had just been preparing to flee froze in place.
His body trembled uncontrollably.
He had been discovered.
But how?
When?
Cell could not understand it.
Run, or do not run?
Either way, it felt like there was nowhere left to go.
Following Vegeta's line of sight, Son Gohan also turned toward that dark corner.
Trunks, who had moved closer, did the same.
Under the gaze of the three of them, a grotesque green figure slowly emerged from the shadows.
The instant Gohan saw Cell, his breathing stalled.
Shock and fear surged through his eyes.
By sensing Cell's ki, Gohan felt countless familiar auras.
His father's.
Piccolo's.
Krillin's.
Tien's.
Yamcha's.
Even Uncle Vegeta's.
And beyond that
There was a thick, murky, corrupted aura, as if countless vengeful souls were clinging to Cell's body.
"W what… what is that thing…?" Gohan muttered, forcing himself to stay calm.
Cell's existence completely shattered his understanding of the world.
He had never imagined that such a monster had been hiding nearby all this time.
Judging from Cell's ki alone, his strength was likely no weaker than Gohan's own from just three days ago.
"Strange, is it not?" Vegeta said calmly.
"That he carries all of our ki?"
"Let me introduce him properly. His name is Cell."
"He is the ultimate Android created by Dr. Gero, using the collected cells of all of us."
"What you are seeing now is only his initial form."
"As an ultimate Android, Cell has a special trait. He can evolve by absorbing Androids."
"Absorb either Android 17 or Android 18, and he becomes his Semi Perfect Form."
"Absorb both," Vegeta continued evenly,
"and he becomes Perfect Cell."
"As for how strong that would be…"
Vegeta paused briefly.
"You can imagine it yourself."
"What?!"
After hearing this explanation, Gohan sucked in cold air again and again.
Shock gave way to intense killing intent.
So this, this was the true crisis of their world.
Now he understood.
No wonder Uncle Vegeta had shown absolutely no interest in Androids 17 and 18 from the very beginning.
~~~~~~
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