A vast sea of emerald grass stretched endlessly before him.
The entire realm was serene and still, sunlight gentle, the breeze brushing softly against the land.
Levos stared at the unfamiliar scene and murmured to himself,
"So this is the Supreme Kai's world…?"
He scanned the skies brilliant blue, with drifting clouds like wisps of silk.
But there was no one beside him.
Even his far-reaching senses could detect no life at all.
It seemed Shenron's teleportation had scattered them randomly or perhaps the dragon had burned through its limits just to send them this far.
Levos knew the Kaiōshin Realm was neither Heaven nor Hell. Only those with physical bodies could come here.
According to the lore, this dimension was immense roughly one-tenth the size of the afterlife combined. At its heart lay the Sacred World of the Kai, the lone true planet of the realm, orbited by countless miniature suns like satellites.
This world dwarfed Earth many times over. To locate allies or enemies here by sensing ki alone, they would have to flare their energy to extremes.
For now, with no hostile presence nearby, Levos concealed his aura and sighed.
A weight pressed heavily on his chest.
Bulma.
His hand clenched into a fist.
Bang!
He drove it into his own abdomen with full force.
The ground trembled violently. Grass bent flat in a wave as a shockwave blasted outward for miles.
The reason Bulma had not revived perhaps she still lingered inside his body, trapped within Cell Max's core!
In the original history, when Perfect Cell was torn apart by Gohan's Kamehameha, he had regurgitated Android 18.
Now, Levos intended to do the same.
If he could not complete his evolution, then absorbing Bulma alone had no meaning.
More than that if her essence were completely digested, bringing her back later might become impossible.
He had to release her. No matter how slim the chance, he would try.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Three crushing blows hammered into his abdomen. Each one carried his full strength.
Dirt and grass exploded into the sky. The land for miles around sank into ruin.
Cracks spread across the armored carapace covering his stomach. Blood dripped from his lip, but his eyes burned with determination.
"Whatever it takes… I'll do it!"
Again he drew every ounce of his power into one final strike, intent on shattering his shell
when suddenly, a surge of ki flared in the distance.
Levos's face changed.
"Not good!"
That energy was unmistakable Piccolo's.
For him to release his aura meant he was in serious danger.
Levos pressed two fingers to his brow.
Zzzt!
In an instant, he teleported to the battlefield.
And found Piccolo locked in fierce combat.
Deep within a jagged canyon, the two figures clashed. Their speed left only afterimages, darting back and forth like lightning strikes.
From the outset, Piccolo had unleashed his full might, giving his opponent no room to breathe.
Boom!
A brutal punch sent his foe crashing into the canyon wall.
Piccolo stood firm, eyes blazing, energy gathering to a deadly point on his fingertips.
Crack!
The rock face split apart, revealing his enemy.
A woman slender, with golden hair cascading around her shoulders. Her aura radiated cold steel.
Her icy blue eyes locked onto Piccolo, brimming with fury.
"You bastard…! How did you get so strong?!"
Blood trickled from the corner of her mouth. Though pale and battered, she still raised her guard with defiance.
"Special Beam Cannon!"
Piccolo's spiraling beam of light shot forth like a drill of destruction.
Levos sighed.
Just as it was about to pierce her he vanished.
In a blink, he reappeared before the woman, batting the beam aside with his palm.
BOOM!
The compressed energy detonated high above, scattering like fireworks.
"What?!" Piccolo's pupils contracted.
When he saw who had intervened, his glare softened into thought.
"Sorry, Piccolo," Levos said quietly. "But don't harm her for now."
"Hmph." Piccolo scoffed but let the killing intent drain from his aura. "Fine."
Levos turned to the woman. Shoulder-length blond hair, tense expression.
He knew her.
Android 18.
Because Levos had asked Shenron to revive everyone from the past twenty-five years, the villains had returned as well including her.
In this timeline, 18 was no misunderstood antihero. She was a merciless killer. Countless innocents had fallen to her cruelty including many of the Z Fighters' friends and loved ones. She had murdered for amusement.
Her crimes could never be erased.
Yet when Levos saw her, something deep within Cell Max's body stirred.
An irresistible hunger.
A biological instinct to claim her genetic code.
Absorbing her would push him toward the next stage of evolution.
18 raised her chin, eyes narrowing. "So you're working with him… You monster what do you want?!"
Levos didn't answer. He blurred forward and struck the back of her neck with a sharp chop.
Thud!
Her body went limp, collapsing unconscious.
Piccolo lowered his arms, a hint of respect flashing in his gaze.
"You're decisive when you need to be, Levos."
He paused, then added, "I think I understand why you wanted her revived… and why you let her live."
Levos nodded slightly. "The wish was rushed. I had to act."
Piccolo's eyes glinted. "I heard the details from King Kai. Among those revived by the Dragon Balls were the androids, Babidi's crew, Frieza and his father, even the Red Ribbon Army's scum."
"Others don't get it. But I can tell you have a purpose."
Levos exhaled slowly. "To defeat the Dark Trio… we may need their power too."
"So. You're planning to absorb her." Piccolo glanced at the unconscious woman.
"That's right. But first…" Levos's voice grew firm. "…I'm going to try to bring Bulma back."
Piccolo frowned. "But you were only one step from evolving. Why risk it?"
Levos met his gaze, eyes unwavering. "Because I won't gamble with Bulma's life again."
Now that both Androids 17 and 18 were here on the Sacred World of the Kai, Cell Max's evolution had another path forward.
The only question that remained was whether Bulma could be restored.
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