Boom!
Cooler twisted his body and kicked Levos' fist head-on!
In that instant, Levos' entire right arm shattered, and blood sprayed from his mouth as he was sent flying!
"Hmph! Pathetic," Cooler said coldly.
A Death Beam shot from his fingertip, instantly piercing through Bulma's chest.
Then he vanished.
When he reappeared, he was already behind Levos.
Cooler's left leg swept viciously toward Levos' waist.
Crack!
The sharp sound of breaking bones rang out as his waist bent unnaturally, and a wave of pale purple fluid gushed out of his abdomen.
His entire body was slammed deep into the ground!
Levos gritted his teeth and forced himself to rise, bursting out from the crater and lashing his tail at Cooler!
Cooler sneered and raised one hand lazily, blocking the strike.
With the other hand, he lunged toward Levos' chest.
But just as the attack was about to land, Levos' body suddenly shrank, narrowly dodging the punch.
Cooler's expression darkened. He threw another heavy blow.
Levos didn't dodge this time.
He burned every last drop of energy, bracing himself to take it head-on.
Boom!
His armored exoskeleton exploded into fragments, and his chest was punched straight through.
But just then, a flash of green light erupted from below.
"MAFUBA!"
Cooler instinctively tried to retreat but realized too late his waist was still entangled by a tail.
Levos' tail!
Cooler's face finally changed.
"Let go!" he roared.
Levos clamped down with all remaining strength.
Dark red Destruction Energy exploded around Cooler's body as he furiously pummeled the tail wrapped around him.
But Levos refused to yield.
With his last functioning arm, he held Cooler's tail tightly, coiling it and trapping it beneath his armpit.
"Damn it! Let go!!" Cooler raged, slamming his fist into Levos' skull.
Blood gushed from Levos' mouth, but he didn't loosen his grip.
At that moment, the Mafuba swallowed them both in a beam of green light.
Levos felt his body spinning and twisting uncontrollably.
"Levos! Focus! Feel the energy! Learn this technique!!" Piccolo's voice echoed in his mind.
The Evil Containment Wave Mafuba was a special skill that could defeat stronger enemies by sealing them away.
Master Mutaito had used this technique to seal King Piccolo, a foe far stronger than himself.
Even in the Tournament of Power, this technique stunned the multiverse's top fighters.
But it came at a price. The user had to expend immense energy.
The stronger the opponent, the greater the cost.
Without enough stamina, the caster could even die from the energy drain!
Both Mutaito and Master Roshi had died using it to seal King Piccolo.
In other words, if the caster lacked sufficient energy reserves, they paid with their life.
"Aaaargh!!"
Piccolo's anguished screams echoed in Levos' ears.
His face was ashen, body trembling violently.
Clearly, sealing Cooler had pushed Piccolo past his limits.
And now there was no one to replenish his strength.
Piccolo had to grit his teeth and endure the backlash, guiding the beam through sheer will.
Levos could only do one thing: hold Cooler down as tightly as possible, restraining his resistance, and slightly easing Piccolo's burden.
Gradually, Levos' vision blurred, his body spinning faster and faster...
At some point, Cooler broke free of his grip.
Then, Levos felt like he was drifting in a vast, pitch-black void.
Where am I?
He was still wondering when a beam of white light struck his body.
The darkness shattered.
Levos saw himself enlarging uncontrollably.
Then he heard a faint, weakened voice at his ear.
"Levos... quickly, absorb the bottle with your tail..."
Piccolo!
Levos' heart clenched. He instantly clutched the bottle Piccolo shoved into his hands.
It trembled violently, cracks spreading rapidly across its surface!
Without hesitation, Levos opened the tip of his tail and swallowed the entire bottle.
"I'll leave the rest... to you, Levos..."
Piccolo smiled faintly, closed his eyes, and collapsed to the ground his breathing ceased.
Levos' heart ached. He had just been resurrected, and yet once again... Piccolo had sacrificed himself for the Mafuba.
A soft thud echoed from deep within Levos' tail.
He felt a ripping pain tear through it.
His tail convulsed, swelled, shrank, writhed, and twisted!
Levos immediately poured all his remaining energy into the tail, suppressing the violent reaction.
Slowly... the disturbance calmed.
A cold stream of energy surged through his entire body.
Then an overwhelming pressure erupted from within him.
This energy was monstrous suffocating.
And it was rapidly replenishing his exhausted stamina.
So this is... the path of mechanical evolution?
Levos' eyes gleamed with clarity.
Without waiting for the process to finish, he picked up Piccolo's corpse and soared toward the place where Bulma had fallen.
It didn't take long for him to find her among the shattered stone pillars.
She was gravely injured, unconscious.
A gaping hole marred her chest and abdomen, blood soaking her clothes, face pale as death.
But she was still alive.
Levos rushed to check on her.
Only for a slender hand to reach out and press against her neck.
"Eighteen!" Levos' voice turned cold, killing intent surging. "What are you doing?!"
"Hmph. Relax, monster," Android 18 said with a slight smirk. "I'm just checking if your little girlfriend here can be saved."
Girlfriend?
18's tone was light and playful, completely unfazed by Levos' murderous glare.
The next second, she pressed her fingers to Bulma's neck and channeled a stream of energy.
"What are you"
Levos frowned, confused.
18 shot him a lazy glance. "She's still got a pulse. And judging from your reaction, you definitely don't want her to die, right?"
Without waiting for a reply, she tore a strip from her own tattered clothing and started bandaging Bulma's wounds.
Levos didn't understand why 18 was helping Bulma but he didn't dare let his guard down.
This woman was a killer. There was no way to predict her motives.
He stared at her warily, preparing to strike at the slightest sign of danger.
But strangely enough, 18 seemed genuinely focused on saving Bulma. Her hands were precise and meticulous.
Levos studied her for a while, puzzled. She showed no signs of wanting to take Bulma hostage.
If anything, he'd already had several chances to attack her. Yet something held him back.
Eventually, 18 finished dressing Bulma's wounds and stood up.
She looked at Levos with a teasing smile.
"What? You really think I'd hurt someone who just saved me?"
Levos snorted, walking over to examine Bulma's injuries himself.
Even if 18 meant no harm, caution was his nature.
After a thorough check, he finally relaxed a little.
Thanks to her modified body, as long as the injury wasn't fatal, she should recover with time.
But now, Levos had a new concern.
Bulma wasn't weak but compared to the threats they faced now and in the future, her power was far too lacking.
With things escalating against Cooler, he couldn't afford to risk her safety.
Looks like she'll need to keep improving her combat strength.
Even if she doesn't fight, she needs the ability to protect herself.
This timeline... is far too dangerous.
And the villains are trying way too hard.
There's no way he can afford to slack off.
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