"You're... a Super Saiyan?" Gohan stared at Karnel's unique golden-red hair, his eyes widening in disbelief. "How is that possible? There are no other Saiyans in this world except Trunks and me. Where did you come from?"
A flash of hope flickered across Gohan's battle-worn face, but it was quickly overshadowed by the hatred he felt toward the two androids who stood ready for battle.
Karnel felt a pang of sympathy for the young warrior. "I arrived in this world following a black-faced man through a dimensional rift. I'll explain more later." His expression grew serious. "But first, tell me, Goku, Krillin, Vegeta... they're all dead?"
The mention of his father's Saiyan name hit Gohan like a physical blow. For a moment, he was transported back to his childhood, when Son Goku was still alive and the world wasn't a wasteland of death and despair.
"Dad died of a heart attack years ago," Gohan said quietly, his voice heavy with old grief. "Not long after that, Vegeta and Piccolo were killed too. Now there are only two Saiyans left, Trunks and me. Master Roshi and the others are hiding in underground shelters, too afraid to show their faces."
"Hey, you random Saiyan!" Android 17 interrupted with cold irritation. "You've got some nerve, completely ignoring me and 18."
Android 18 studied Karnel with calculating eyes. "Be careful, 17. This Saiyan's power level is... difficult to read. He's not like the others we've faced."
Gohan snapped back to the present danger, urgency creeping into his voice. "Be careful! These two evil androids are incredibly strong. Even after transforming into a Super Saiyan, I can't defeat either one of them alone."
"So this world was destroyed by these two artificial beings," Karnel mused, his analytical mind processing the information. "Even Vegeta fell to them."
Karnel helped Gohan to his feet and reached into his dimensional storage, producing several Senzu beans. "Eat these. Why did you come out to fight them alone? With your current strength, you don't stand a chance against both of them."
"Senzu beans!" Gohan's hands trembled as he accepted the magical legumes. "You actually have Senzu beans!" He reached into his own torn clothing, where he'd been carrying the last Senzu bean on Earth since Korin had been killed. "My strength has improved recently, so I thought... I thought maybe I could finally kill them. But I was still so far off." He ate one of Karnel's beans, feeling his wounds heal instantly. "If you hadn't shown up, I would have died today."
"How dare you continue ignoring us!" Android 17's face twisted with cold fury. "Then you can die too!"
He pointed forward, condensing an energy wave that streaked toward Karnel's back with lethal intent.
"Pathetic," Android 17 smirked, already turning away. "Just another arrogant fool. Come on, 18. We won't kill Son Gohan today, let's save his life for later entertainment."
But Android 18 remained motionless, her pupils dilated with shock. She grabbed 17's arm as he started to leave. "This Saiyan is completely different from the others we've killed. Your energy wave hit him directly, but it didn't do any damage at all."
"What?" Android 17's confident demeanor cracked slightly as he turned back to see Karnel standing completely unharmed, not even bothering to acknowledge the attack.
"So what?" 17 quickly regained his composure, though his voice carried a hint of uncertainty. "That just proves he's stronger than that garbage Son Gohan. He can't possibly be stronger than us androids."
"Two little flies," Karnel said with mild annoyance, finally turning to face them. "How irritating."
He had naturally sensed the energy wave, but its power was so negligible that he hadn't bothered to dodge. The androids' continued arrogance, however, was beginning to test his patience.
"Gohan, just rest here for a moment," Karnel said casually, his voice carrying an edge of steel. "I'm going to teach these two ignorant half-human, half-machine scum a proper lesson."
His eyes locked onto the androids with chilling intensity, and for the first time in years, they felt something they'd almost forgotten, fear.
"Karnel, you can't beat them!" Gohan called out desperately, his newly restored strength doing nothing to ease his worry. "Let's retreat and come up with a plan!"
"Do you want to die?" Karnel's pupils flashed with murderous intent as he spoke each word with deliberate menace, completely ignoring Gohan's warnings.
Android 18's expression shifted from caution to violent anger. She had never been threatened by a Saiyan before, and she wasn't about to start taking them seriously now. A rapidly spinning energy disk formed in her hand, crackling with deadly power.
"Hehe! 18's getting angry," Android 17 taunted, his earlier uncertainty masked by cruel amusement. "You're in trouble now, Saiyan. Let me guess which part of your body she'll cut off first."
"Destructo Disc!"
The golden energy cutting disk shot from Android 18's hand with a high-pitched whirring sound, spinning toward Karnel's arm with the speed of a bullet.
"Oh my! Lucky you, Saiyan," Android 17 continued his mockery. "Only one arm will be severed!"
"Get out of the way, Karnel!" Gohan shouted in panic, transforming into his Super Saiyan form. "That's 18's signature move, the Destructo Disc! My arm was cut off by that very technique!"
He leaped forward, ready to intercept the deadly attack, but Karnel simply raised his hand to stop him. In a movement too fast for any of them to track, Karnel's hand shot out and caught the spinning disc in his palm.
CRACK!
With a sound like shattering glass, the Destructo Disc that had terrorized Gohan simply crumbled to pieces with the slightest pressure from Karnel's fingers.
"Stand back, Gohan," Karnel said with casual contempt, glancing at the androids' shocked expressions. "Dealing with these two mechanical puppets won't be difficult at all."
"It's only polite to return the favor," he continued, his hands beginning to glow with immense power. "You two should experience one of my techniques as well."
Karnel's energy surged as he formed a massive Kamehameha, but this was unlike any attack the androids had ever witnessed. The energy was infused with divine essence, creating winds that howled like banshees and radiated power that made the very air tremble.
As someone on the verge of breaking through to Super Saiyan God, Karnel's attacks carried the higher-dimensional energy of divinity. The destructive power and overwhelming presence were beyond anything this timeline had ever seen.
Faced with the terrifying energy wave that roared toward them like a primordial sea monster, both Android 17 and Android 18 felt something they thought they'd lost forever, genuine, bone-deep terror.