Dr. Gero's patience had already run thin. With a sinister grin, he opened the glass container holding the Eternal Energy Furnaces and carefully retrieved the glowing orbs.
He stepped toward Lazuli, menace in his every move. The girl's eyes widened in despair as she struggled against her restraints.
But just before hopelessness could swallow her, a figure appeared with white hair flowing.
"Chiga…" Lazuli whispered in shock.
Uchiha Chiga had arrived.
With a casual wave of his hand, the belts restraining Lazuli and Lapis shattered into pieces. Lapis slumped, still dazed, but Lazuli immediately sprang up and clung to Chiga from behind.
For an eighteen-year-old girl, being kidnapped by a twisted scientist was beyond terrifying. Her voice trembled as she buried her face against him.
"Chiga, you're finally here! I was so scared…"
Chiga patted her hand.
Dr. Gero's face darkened with rage. He turned sharply toward Android 12.
"What's going on?! How did Uchiha Chiga find this place? Were you followed?"
Android 12 looked bewildered. "Impossible! I only acted after he left completely!"
Dr. Gero cursed her as useless in his mind, retreating slowly. He barked, "Kill him! And be careful not to damage the lab!"
A red gleam flickered in Android 12's eyes. Programmed obedience left her no choice. She raised her wrist, the cannon built into her arm glowing as it charged a swirling orb of blue energy.
Lazuli instinctively gripped Chiga's arm. Behind them, Lapis swallowed hard. No matter how brave he tried to act, he was still human. The sight of a cannon aimed their way left him trembling.
Chiga, however, remained calm. He lifted a single finger, and a sphere of violet lightning crackled into existence at its tip.
The instant it formed, Android 12's visual sensors went haywire, flashing with red warnings. The energy radiating from Chiga's lightning was overwhelming, her instincts screaming at her to flee—but the command buried in her systems forced her to attack.
She fired.
The cannon blast streaked across the room, but in the same breath, Chiga released his lightning. His purple bolt tore through the air and consumed her energy shot as if it were nothing. The surge of power ripped into her body, and with an ear-splitting bang, Android 12 exploded into scattered fragments.
A single eye, still attached to dangling wires, rolled to Dr. Gero's feet. The lens flashed red erratically, as if clinging to its last moments of awareness.
Dr. Gero sneered. Without a flicker of pity, he stomped on it. The crunch of glass, wires, and fluid mixing with oil filled the air.
Lazuli squeezed her eyes shut at the gruesome sight. Lapis, however, witnessed it all—and his stomach churned violently as bile rose to his throat.
Chiga's expression didn't change. He had seen far more horrific things in his battles.
Raising his hand again, he pointed toward Dr. Gero.
"Wait!" the old man shouted frantically. "We don't have to fight! With my technology and your strength, we could rule the world—no, the entire universe!"
Chiga arched a brow, unimpressed. "Strange. You talk like you know me."
Dr. Gero nodded eagerly. "Of course I do. When Raditz came to Earth, my miniature reconnaissance robots recorded everything. I saw you kill him. Your power is extraordinary!"
Chiga paused, realizing the man spoke the truth. In the original events, those tiny drones had even tracked Goku to Namek. Their energy signatures were so faint, it was easy to overlook them.
At his words, Lazuli blinked in surprise. "Chiga… you killed someone?" Her tone wasn't fearful—only worried. "Why? Who was Raditz?"
Chiga met her gaze steadily. "An alien. He wanted to destroy Earth. I stopped him."
Relief washed over her face, and without hesitation, she said, "Then you're a hero… you saved the world."
Her admiration was so genuine it made her brother groan inwardly.
She really believes everything he says… Since when did my sister get this lovesick?
Still, considering the unbelievable things they had seen today, maybe it wasn't so strange after all.
Before he could overthink it, words slipped from his mouth. "Mr....Brother-in-law, don't listen to that creepy old man! You can tell just by looking at him that he's rotten!"
Chiga blinked at the sudden title. Lazuli's face turned scarlet as she whipped her head toward her brother, glaring, though she didn't deny it.
Lapis, emboldened, hopped off the table and rushed to Chiga's side. "Brother-in-law, you were so cool! Can you teach me that lightning move?!"
Chiga smirked, clearly entertained. "Brother-in-law, is it? You didn't even ask if your sister agrees."
"It's obvious!" Lapis declared proudly. "Whether she agrees or not, you're already my Brother-in-law!"
"Lapis!" Lazuli snapped, her face still burning red.
Unable to hold back anymore, she socked him on the head. "Idiot!"
Lapis squatted down, clutching his head in pain. "Ow! What was that for?!"
Chiga chuckled and feigned surprise. "Why'd you hit him? Did you change your mind?"
Her eyes widened, panic flashing across her face. "What?! Of course not! I confessed to you, didn't I? I just… hit him because he was being embarrassing."
Flustered but determined, Lazuli rubbed her cheek against Chiga's back, acting spoiled in a way that was far more natural than before.
Lapis muttered bitterly from the floor, "Tch. Gets a boyfriend and forgets her brother. How awful."
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