In addition to those discoveries, Trunks and the others found the shed skin of an unknown creature near the Time Machine. Judging from its appearance, it had been shed only recently. The sight filled the three of them with an inexplicable sense of unease.
They continued to search the surrounding area, hoping to uncover more clues. Unfortunately, they found nothing else. After storing the Time Machine back into its capsule, the three decided to leave.
Having learned from Krillin that Eriri was traveling with the androids, Bulma decided to accompany Trunks and Gohan to Kame House so she could see Eriri again as soon as possible.
However, unlike before, Bulma didn't ask Gohan or Trunks to carry her through the air. Instead, she chose to fly her own ship toward Kame House. Though slower, the idea of being held while flying through the sky wasn't exactly appealing to her.
...
Meanwhile, watching the live broadcast, Lazuli's expression showed mild surprise.
"That shell earlier... that's Cell's shed skin, isn't it? It looks strange—kind of like some kind of insect."
Although Eriri had already explained Cell's existence and the events surrounding him, Lazuli had never actually seen what he looked like. Seeing it for the first time naturally piqued her curiosity.
"That's right. That's Cell's larval form. Judging by the situation, he's probably already started absorbing humans in a nearby town."
Eriri shifted her gaze toward the area where Bulma and the others were. In the nearest town, Cell—now fully molted into his First Form—was rampaging without restraint, absorbing humans one after another. The ground around him was littered with empty clothes.
"So what do we do? Should we just go and kill him now?"
Lazuli frowned slightly. Even though Eriri had told her she would be sent in right before Seventeen was about to be absorbed, the thought of herself and her brother being devoured by Cell in another timeline filled her with a burning desire to crush him completely.
As for the ordinary people being absorbed, she didn't care in the slightest. Their deaths meant nothing to her—after all, she had never been a virtuous person.
"Let's not. Killing Cell right now would make things far too boring."
"I see..." Lazuli nodded and didn't argue further.
"So, if we're not going after Cell, what should we do next? We can't just sit in the car watching live feeds all day, can we?" Arifureta asked, withdrawing her gaze from the screen with a bored look.
"Of course not. We've seen enough of the broadcast. There's nothing interesting left to watch anyway."
Eriri dismissed the projection from the windshield, restoring the clear view of the road ahead.
"As for what we'll do next..." Eriri rested her elbow on the window, tapping her cheek thoughtfully with one finger.
"Hmm... how about we go shopping? I have a feeling someone's been dying to go out for a while now."
As she said this, Eriri turned to look at Lazuli with a teasing smile on her beautiful face.
"That's right! It's been ages since I've gone out. I used to love shopping, you know~" Lazuli said eagerly, her tone full of excitement.
About half an hour later, Eriri's pink sports car smoothly entered a medium-sized city. Though its population was under a hundred thousand, it was far more developed than most towns its size. Shops lined both sides of the streets, and the area boasted a bustling pedestrian zone and a large shopping mall.
Eriri parked the car in a nearby lot, and the three of them walked toward the mall.
At that moment, the large LED display on the shopping center's outer wall was broadcasting serious news: reports of a mass disappearance in a western town.
Eriri and her companions only glanced briefly at the screen before continuing inside without slowing down.
...
Meanwhile, at Kame House, Trunks and the others who had regrouped there were watching the same news broadcast with grim faces.
"What in the world is happening?" Krillin muttered in shock, staring at the horrifying footage displayed on the TV screen.
Scattered clothing, sporadic gunfire, and the desperate cries for help—all made it clear that the town was in the midst of a great catastrophe.
Moments later, the field reporter's panicked scream echoed through the broadcast, followed by a sudden cut to static. The live report was abruptly terminated.
"Wait... that town—they just said it's right near the mountains where we found the Time Machine earlier!"
Bulma gasped, recognizing the location displayed on the screen.
Hearing her words, Trunks' expression grew grave. "I think... I might know what's going on."
Everyone turned toward him, their eyes filled with questions.
Instead of answering immediately, Trunks looked at Bulma and Gohan. "Do you both remember that shell we saw earlier?"
Bulma's eyes lit up as realization struck. "Ah! I see now! Trunks, are you saying that the creature that left that shell behind is the one attacking the town?"
"Yeah. It has to be. The distance matches perfectly."
Krillin and the others instantly recalled what Trunks had told them earlier about the mysterious creature connected to the Time Machine. The thought alone sent a chill down their spines. They could all sense something terrifying was about to happen.
"Still," Trunks said firmly, "if I want to confirm my suspicions, I'll need to go there myself and investigate."
As soon as he turned around to leave, Krillin and the others quickly moved to block his way.
"Don't be reckless, Trunks!"
"Yeah! We don't even know what we're up against. Charging in blindly would be way too dangerous!"
"It's fine," Trunks said confidently. "I can transform into a Super Saiyan. The only real threats to me are the androids. Nothing else even comes close."
"That may be true, but—"
"It's decided. Trust me on this," Trunks said firmly.
Krillin and the others fell silent. Though they still felt uneasy, seeing the determination on Trunks' face left them with little room to argue.
"In that case, let me go with you," Gohan said, stepping forward with resolve.
But before he could take another step, Chi-Chi's sharp voice cut through the air.
"No way!!! Gohan, you are NOT going!"
She had allowed him to help retrieve the Time Machine earlier only because there had been no danger involved. But now, faced with the possibility of him going to confront an unknown enemy, there was no chance she would agree.
"But, Mom—" Gohan protested weakly, shrinking back slightly under her glare. Still, he wasn't ready to give up.
Before he could say anything more, Trunks smiled gently and placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder.
"I'll go alone. It's just reconnaissance for now. Gohan, stay here and protect everyone—and your father."
"Alright," Gohan said reluctantly, nodding. Chi-Chi finally sighed in relief.
As Trunks prepared to leave, Bulma stepped forward with a serious expression. "Trunks, be careful. If things get dangerous, run. Don't try to fight."
"I understand," Trunks replied with a nod. Then, after bidding everyone farewell, he shot into the sky toward the attacked town.
He hadn't gone far when a terrifying surge of energy erupted in the distance, forcing him to stop midair.
His eyes widened as he sensed it—within that overwhelming ki were countless familiar signatures: Goku's, Vegeta's, Piccolo's... even the distinct energy of Frieza and King Cold.
The fusion of so many powerful and familiar energies left Trunks utterly stunned.
And it wasn't just him who felt it. Gohan and the others at Kame House, Vegeta venting his rage in the mountains, and Androids 16 and 17 traveling together—all simultaneously sensed that monstrous ki.
In addition to that strange ki, everyone also sensed Piccolo's energy nearby—but it was far stronger than before. In an instant, they all realized that Piccolo must be confronting the owner of that ominous presence.
Without hesitation, Trunks shot off toward the source of the ki, transforming into a Super Saiyan mid-flight to reach it faster.
At Kame House, Gohan, upon sensing Piccolo's energy, ignored Chi-Chi's protests and immediately took off after him. Krillin and Yamcha followed close behind.
As for guarding Goku, they figured there was no longer any point. That mysterious ki contained Goku's energy signature, among many others—if the androids were targeting Goku, they would surely head there too.
And indeed, that was exactly what happened. The moment Androids 16 and 17 sensed Cell's terrifying power, they abandoned their leisurely pace, ditched their vehicle, and flew straight toward the source.
Vegeta and Tien, both feeling the same surge of power, also changed course. Vegeta, in particular, was furious when he sensed how much stronger Piccolo had become. Without a second thought, he transformed into a Super Saiyan and blasted off at full speed, determined to confront him.
Meanwhile, Lazuli, who was happily shopping in a mall with Eriri and Arifureta, felt both Piccolo's and Cell's ki—but after glancing upward for a moment, she simply ignored it. She was enjoying her shopping trip and had no intention of letting something so trivial ruin her fun.
Unless her brother's life was in danger, nothing would make her stop shopping.
...
In a barren wasteland—formerly a small town—Piccolo, now fused with Kami, was facing off against the hideous creature known as Cell. The area that had once been paved and lively was now reduced to dust and rubble after their exchange of a few powerful energy blasts.
Using one of his arms as bait, Piccolo had successfully drawn out a great deal of information from Cell. He learned that Cell was an artificial lifeform created by Dr. Gero, that he absorbed humans to increase his power, and that consuming Androids 17 and 18 would allow him to achieve his Perfect Form.
When Cell realized he had been tricked into revealing so much, he was momentarily surprised—but not afraid. In fact, when he learned that the Dragon Balls had vanished due to Piccolo's fusion with Kami, he actually seemed pleased. With humanity unable to revive the dead, his victims would remain gone forever.
Though Piccolo's power had grown immensely, Cell didn't believe he could lose to him.
Just as he was preparing to continue the fight, Cell suddenly sensed multiple ki signatures rapidly approaching. He and Piccolo both looked up to see Trunks appear in the sky, followed moments later by Gohan, Krillin, Yamcha, and Tien.
One by one, they landed beside Piccolo, forming a defensive line against Cell.
Upon seeing Trunks, Cell's eyes narrowed in brief surprise. In his own timeline, he had killed Trunks and stolen his Time Machine to come here. But he quickly realized that this Trunks wasn't the same one he had slain—it was a version from another timeline entirely.
He didn't care. To him, Trunks was merely a defeated foe. If he could kill him once, he could do it again.
However, with so many opponents gathered, continuing the fight was unwise. Cell decided that retreating for now would be the best course of action.
As these thoughts crossed his mind, Krillin and Yamcha's startled voices broke through the tension.
"Whoa! That thing came out of that shell we found? He's hideous!"
"Yeah, what a monster!"
Trunks didn't speak. He only stared at the humanoid creature before him with a grave expression. Even without confirmation, he knew instantly—this was the being responsible for the mass disappearances. The same one that had crawled from that discarded shell.
Cell, unmoved by Krillin and Yamcha's shouting, merely gave them a disinterested glance before fixing his cold gaze on Trunks.
Krillin and Yamcha were far too weak to interest him. As for their insults about his appearance, he didn't care in the slightest—he wasn't here to win any beauty contests.
—
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