The Trunks of today was no longer the same boy of the past. Someone like Dabura, a scum of that level, was nothing more than a trivial nuisance for Trunks. With just the lift of a hand, Trunks could consign him to eternal ruin.
Yet even as he fell from the sky, his body growing heavy and limp, Dabura still tried to resist, clinging desperately to life.
He gambled everything in a single act.
If he could spit out just one last glob of cursed saliva… if it could touch Trunks… if he could hold onto that last breath just long enough… then Trunks would be turned to stone. And victory would belong to him.
It was a beautiful thought. But reality was merciless.
Trunks had already sensed the devil king's intent long before he could act.
Zzzzzt!
A piercing beam lanced through Dabura's chest, and the so-called King of the Demon Realm was reduced to little more than a pitiful corpse. Without even sparing him another glance, Trunks fixed his gaze back on the looming battleship above.
'Instant Transmission.'
His figure blurred, and in the blink of an eye, he tore through the vessel, cutting down every wretch imprisoned within until he reached the uppermost chamber.
There, a massive cocoon filled his vision. Without hesitation, he hefted it onto his shoulder and soared out of the ship.
Only then did Trunks glance back at Dabura's fallen body. In one fluid motion, he severed the devil's head, a grisly trophy to bring back as proof. His eyes shifted once more, this time to the bisected remains of Babidi, whom Bulla had dealt with.
"Bulla," He said coolly, "This one's yours. Take his corpse."
"Got it, big brother." Bulla grabbed Babidi's body and floated to Trunks' side, resting her hand on his shoulder.
The siblings' silhouettes shimmered, and vanished from the battlefield. They had been gone less than a minute. And in that fleeting span of time, they had annihilated the twin scourges who had plagued this world for years.
When Trunks and Bulla reappeared before Future Bulma, Trunks casually tossed Dabura's head onto the floor.
Bulla mimicked him, dropping Babidi's corpse with a thud.
"Th-this is…?" Mai was the first to gasp. That terrifying enemy who had hounded them for so many years, gone, just like that?
Videl crouched down, studying the remains carefully. When she confirmed the truth, her breath caught.
"Dead?! In less than a minute?!" She exclaimed in disbelief.
Bulla smiled sweetly, her tone lighthearted. "That's all he amounted to. We didn't even need to go Super Saiyan, hehe."
The word struck Videl like a thunderclap.
She had once witnessed the Trunks and Gohan of this timeline transform into Super Saiyans. That overwhelming strength… even now, she could barely scrape at its edge.
Yet these two had slain Dabura without even transforming.
If they did go Super Saiyan… just what kind of monsters would they become?
Her awe was cut short when her eyes fell on the massive cocoon looming behind Trunks.
"What is that?" Videl asked in a tense voice.
She wasn't the only one bewildered. Everyone present, except Trunks, wore the same expression of unease on their faces.
In the main timeline, Majin Buu had been revived outright, so even Gohan had never laid eyes on such a cocoon.
"Trunks, what is this?" Gohan demanded.
Trunks smiled faintly, his gaze shifting to Future Bulma. "This is a gift for my mother."
He patted the cocoon's surface while speaking. "Inside this cocoon is this world's Majin Buu, the ultimate goal Babidi was working toward. The monster he sought to resurrect."
The moment they heard the words ultimate goal, Mai and Videl's hearts tightened, their bodies instinctively bracing for danger.
"What?! There's a monster inside?!" Videl cried, unconsciously dropping into a combat stance.
"Don't panic, Videl Nee San," Bulla said lightly, almost playfully. "Right now we're perfectly safe. This Majin Buu has no chance of being revived."
She leaned in closer, lips curling into a mischievous smile. "Besides… we already have a Majin Buu of our own!"
Those words instantly cleared the fog of uncertainty in everyone's minds.
Bulla crouched down before a pudgy figure sleeping soundly nearby. She pointed with a teasing little flourish. "See? This is Majin Buu. But don't worry, he's the Majin Buu from our world. And," she added with a giggle, "He's my big brother's loyal underling."
Every gaze snapped toward the round, pink mound of flesh snoring peacefully on the floor.
Unbelievable. That chubby lump, this sleepy, harmless-looking creature, was the very monster Babidi had fought so desperately to resurrect?
And he was Trunks' subordinate?
If Babidi were still alive to hear it, the insult alone might have killed him on the spot.
"Then why's he asleep?" Videl asked, curiosity overriding her caution.
"He probably used up all his power," Bulla guessed.
The truth, of course, was far simpler. Majin Buu was very likely just… napping. Trunks knew this all too well, after all, in the original Dragon Ball Super timeline, Buu had a habit of dozing off mid-crisis. Once asleep, nothing and no one could wake him.
Trunks shifted his focus back to Future Bulma. "Anyway, Mom, in this world your Majin Buu is still in its embryonic state."
He tapped the massive cocoon he had brought back. "If you can study its cells, you might even be able to create a perfect android. It's not impossible."
He spoke with conviction because in his past life, he knew of an example. Not Bulma, but Dr. Gero's wife, Vomi, later known as Android 21. She had taken Majin Buu's cells into herself, transforming into an android of terrifying power.
Her strength was undeniable. If this world's Bulma could pull off something similar, their timeline's overall fighting capacity would leap to a whole new level.
Of course, it was only a suggestion. Whether it could be done depended entirely on Bulma's genius.
Bulma stepped forward, pressing her hand against the cocoon's surface. After a thoughtful pause, she produced a capsule and absorbed the massive object inside.
"I'll study it, Trunks," she promised. "And I'll track down that Dr. Hedo you mentioned."
Her words brought the discussion back to its crucial point.
Trunks had insisted on finding Hedo because his brilliance far surpassed that of even Dr. Gero. More importantly, he had a kind heart. And yet he was capable of creating something like Cell Max, something beyond androids, something closer to an artificial god.
The only problem: Trunks wasn't sure if Hedo even existed in this timeline, let alone if he was still alive. In their own world, Hedo had yet to make his appearance.
"Good. Then, Mom, please, help us repair the time machine," Trunks requested earnestly.
Future Bulma's face softened, the weight on her shoulders finally seeming lighter. She nodded with determination.
"It's settled, then! The crisis is behind us. Now it's only a matter of restoring production. Give me about three days…" She smiled with relief. "Three days, and I'll have the time machine fully repaired."
From the shadows, unseen by the group, a pair of eyes burned with hatred.
The figure was surrounded by eleven corpses, each clad in the uniform of the gods. He was gasping raggedly, his body battered and weary, as though he had barely escaped some brutal pursuit.
Among the fallen was a face unmistakable, this timeline's very own Supreme Kai, Shin.
One by one, the bodies dissolved into starlight, vanishing without a trace.
The survivor clenched his fists, teeth grinding, voice hoarse but brimming with venom.
"Damn it… I'll become stronger. Stronger than ever!"
(End Of This Chapter)
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