CHAPTER 13

Wow wow…

Cell's face contorted in agony, his mouth opening unnaturally wide as he began to vomit up streams of light green acid mixed with flecks of purplish-red blood. His abdomen churned violently, rippling like an angry sea caught in a storm.

For nearly half a minute, the grotesque retching continued until Cell's body suddenly began to expand. His form ballooned outward, his exoskeleton stretching, and his upper torso puffed out grotesquely like an engorged toad.

"Wow..."

Then, with a sickening lurch, Cell's throat bulged, and a humanoid figure was forcibly expelled from his gullet.

"Father…!"

"Vegeta!"

"Uncle Vegeta?!"

Trunks, Son Goku, and even Krillin shouted out in shock and disbelief as the figure landed on the ground in a heap.

It was indeed Vegeta previously absorbed by Cell during their earlier confrontation. But now, he was drenched in translucent green digestive fluid, clinging to his battle-worn armor and limbs, making him look more like a reanimated corpse than the proud Saiyan Prince.

After ejecting Vegeta, Cell's body began to convulse, and his perfect form wavered. He rapidly de-evolved, his facial structure warping, the sleekness of his design giving way to a more primitive state.

With a sudden pop, he regressed to his Imperfect Form the one he had after absorbing Android 17 but before merging with 18. Thick lips, bloated arms, and the tail still present.

"Cell has reverted back! His power level has dropped too!" Trunks exclaimed, feeling Cell's ki plummet. "He's no longer in his Perfect Form!"

A glimmer of hope flashed across the faces of the Z-Fighters. With Cell weakened, victory seemed within reach for Goku, Gohan, and Trunks.

Android 18, who had been watching from a distance, clenched her fists. Her eyes welled with a mix of anxiety and hope. "If Vegeta was spat out… then that means… maybe 17 is next."

Cell was still gagging, his internal organs obviously rejecting the massive energy consumption required to maintain his Perfect state. Even as he staggered forward, grabbing the unconscious Vegeta in a desperate attempt to reabsorb him, his trembling limbs betrayed his weakening condition.

Then it came again

"Wow...!"

This time, the retching was even more violent. A second figure launched out of his mouth like a missile and landed with a thud: Android 17, intact but unconscious, coated in mucus and stomach acid.

With both androids expelled, Cell's body crumpled and began to shrink rapidly. His bio-armor cracked and split, and he finally reverted to his original Larval Form, the first grotesque insectoid shape he had when he first arrived from the future.

"No… no… this can't be… I am the ultimate lifeform… the culmination of Dr. Gero's work… I… can't be defeated like this…!"

Cell's voice became shrill, almost manic, as he stumbled backward. His once overwhelming ki was now so diminished that even Piccolo could have finished him off effortlessly.

"You've lost, Cell."

A calm voice interrupted his desperate mutterings.

"Time to say goodbye to this world."

It was Linze. Standing firm in front of the pathetic, writhing bio-android, his right hand glowing with tightly condensed energy. He didn't hesitate.

Fwoosh!

With a sudden flash, the energy beam exploded outward from Linze's palm, engulfing Cell in its light. Cell screamed—a piercing, metallic cry that quickly faded into silence.

Within seconds, Cell's body disintegrated into dust-like particles and vanished without a trace. There were no remains, no cells, not even ki—he had been completely eradicated.

"He's… gone?" Krillin whispered.

Everyone stared, mouths slightly open, trying to process what had just occurred.

Just moments ago, they had been on the brink of annihilation terrified that Cell might trigger his self-destruction again or unleash some new horror on Earth. But now, that nightmare had been erased by this mysterious warrior.

"…Linze did it," Gohan said softly, his voice carrying a tone of awe.

The battle that was meant to decide the fate of the world had ended, not with Goku's sacrifice, not with Gohan's fury—but with the intervention of a Saiyan none of them truly knew.

"Hey, don't just stand around gawking!" Linze called out, dusting his palms. "You may not be able to fight, but you can still help the others!"

Snapping out of their daze, Trunks and Krillin rushed to the unconscious Vegeta and Android 17.

"Right!"

"Let's get them medical help.fast!"

"Mr. Linze," Trunks said while lifting his father's body onto his shoulder, "What about Android 17? Is he stable?"

Trunks hesitated. In his timeline, androids were killers. But here… things were different. Android 18 wasn't evil. She was even showing concern. Maybe the divergence in timelines had changed more than just the outcome.

"Don't worry," Linze said, glancing back. "They're alive. Their ki is weak, but they'll recover."

Perhaps, Trunks thought as he watched Linze walk ahead, the dimensions aren't just different they're giving us another chance.

"Of course I'm taking him back to the Lookout so Dende can heal him," Linze said calmly, glancing at the unconscious Vegeta over his shoulder. "But don't be naïve, Trunks. You really think I destroyed Cell just to save Vegeta?"

He let out a short, dry laugh.

"That's cute."

Then Linze gave Trunks a blunt eye-roll, brushing him off with casual disdain.

"My goal was Android 17. That arrogant Saiyan prince? Saving him was just a side effect."

"Y-Yes… understood!" Trunks quickly nodded, flustered, then turned to help Krillin carry Vegeta. Together, they lifted the still-slime-covered warrior and flew toward the Lookout—also known as the Temple of Heaven, where Dende now served as Earth's Guardian.

Although Cell had absorbed them, Vegeta and 17 hadn't been killed, which meant their life forces remained intact—just heavily suppressed. Thanks to Dende's healing powers, restoring them was still possible.

Son Goku, Gohan, and Piccolo followed close behind.

The damage caused by Cell's rampage was immense—entire cities had been wiped out, and countless innocent people had perished. But now that Dende had recreated Earth's Dragon Balls following Kami and Piccolo's permanent separation, they had the means to revive everyone killed by Cell.

…

"Come on," Linze said casually, turning toward Android 18. "Let's head up there too."

"Mm." 18 gave a short nod, her expression calm but her eyes lingered on Linze's face a moment longer than usual.

"…You're ridiculously strong," she finally said. "You erased Cell in an instant like he was nothing. I thought we—me and 17—were the ultimate lifeforms. Even Dr. Gero's database only listed Son Goku and Vegeta as top threats. You… weren't even mentioned."

Her voice carried a faint trace of disbelief.

Linze smirked, not bothering to hide the amusement dancing in his eyes. "Want to know my secret? I'll tell you… tonight."

He winked before taking off toward the Lookout, leaving 18 blinking in mild confusion—then faintly blushing.

…

On the Lookout, Dende wasted no time. With his hands glowing with golden healing energy, he knelt beside Vegeta first. In seconds, the Saiyan Prince stirred and slowly sat up, coughing harshly but otherwise intact.

"Dad…! You're okay!" Trunks exclaimed, rushing over. "I was afraid you…"

"I'm fine," Vegeta muttered, brushing slime off his armor with a scowl. His pride was clearly wounded more than his body. He looked around, taking in the figures of Linze, Goku, and 17 nearby.

Then his gaze fixed briefly uneasily on Linze.

With a snort, Vegeta turned and leapt off the edge of the Lookout without a word, his ki flaring as he flew off alone into the clouds.

He remembered everything from his time inside Cell and the overwhelming power Linze had displayed. That alone was more unsettling to him than death.

…

Nearby, 18 had her arms crossed as she watched Dende turn to heal her brother.

When 17 sat up moments later, he blinked, disoriented.

"…I'm alive?"

"Seventeen!" 18's voice broke slightly with emotion. "You're okay!"

"…Didn't expect to wake up again," 17 muttered, looking at his hands, then glancing around at Goku, Piccolo, and even Krillin, who gave him a cautious nod. "And they healed me? That's rich. Considering I was built to kill Goku."

"And you nearly wrecked Piccolo in your first fight," Goku added with a small grin, scratching his head.

"You're wrong," 18 cut in, her voice firmer now. "Linze is the one who saved you."

She stepped slightly aside to reveal Linze behind her, arms folded.

At her words, 17's brow lifted, but his gaze shifted to 18 her posture slightly shy, her cheeks faintly red.

"…Huh."

He raised an eyebrow, his usual cocky tone creeping back in. "Well now. You getting flustered over a guy? Didn't think I'd live to see the day."

18 looked away quickly, but didn't deny it.

"So this Linze guy… is he my new brother-in-law or something?"

He glanced at Linze with a sly smirk.

"Guess I'd better start vetting him."

—