Dragon Ball: I Became Cell in a Doomed Future

Chapter 304 304: Keeping an Eye on Android 21

Levos could feel it clearly.

Android 21's aura was messy, chaotic, stitched together from incompatible pieces. One part belonged to her. The other part reeked of devouring and destruction, eerily similar to both Majin Buu and Cell Max.

"P-please… hurry…" 21 trembled, fear creeping into her voice. "I'm scared I can't hold it back! This hunger… it's eating my thoughts!"

"I'm afraid I'll lose control! You should go. I don't want to hurt anyone ever again…"

Her rational mind was fighting her instincts every second, like a rope about to snap.

"Stop trying to reject the power inside you. Try accepting it." Levos' voice stayed calm as he released her tail. "It needs guidance, not denial. If you keep suppressing it in your subconscious, sooner or later you'll split apart…"

"Accept it?" 21 lifted her head blankly.

"Yes. Every thought is part of your mind. The more you resist it, the worse the fracture becomes." Levos stepped closer, unhurried. "You're not a monster. You just haven't learned how to wield your strength."

Levos knew the original Android 21 had once fought endlessly against the Buu cells inside her, until she ultimately split into an evil personality, birthing the malicious version of herself.

If that outcome could be avoided, it was better for everyone.

That meant one less terrifying enemy.

And for Earth… it could mean gaining an ally with frightening potential.

Not to mention, her scientific talent was top-tier. Even if she never fought, she could still be invaluable.

21 looked up at Levos.

His words were like a beam of light cutting through her inner chaos.

All this time, she had feared that power, suppressed it, treated it like a beast waiting to tear her apart.

In countless life-or-death battles, she had survived because of it.

Yet every time she lived, she sank deeper into self-disgust.

No one had ever told her that this power… could also be accepted.

"I… what do I do?" Her voice carried a thin thread of hope.

"It's simple." Levos spoke slowly. "Treat it like a tool. A tool isn't good or evil. What matters is what the user chooses to do."

21 fell silent, thinking.

A moment later, her body slowly shifted back.

Messy brown shoulder-length hair. Black-rimmed glasses. A pair of oversized gold earrings.

A filthy, torn white lab coat draped over her shoulders. Beneath it was a red-and-blue checkered bodysuit, paired with tight black pants.

She looked like an intelligent female researcher who'd crawled out of a warzone.

It worked?

Levos studied her with interest. "What do you want most right now?"

"I… I'm hungry… I want to eat you…" 21 answered instinctively, then panicked and shook her head hard. "No! I don't want to eat you! Sorry! I'm scared I'll turn back again…"

Levos sighed.

Guiding her into fully accepting what was inside her wasn't something he could finish in a single conversation.

"Then eat something else."

If it was hunger, fine. Hunger had solutions.

Levos took out a Capsule and tossed it casually.

Poof!

White smoke cleared, and a dining table appeared out of thin air, covered with a spotless white cloth and stacked with dazzling dishes.

A dinosaur leg roasted to a perfect golden brown, sizzling with fat, the rich aroma rolling off it in waves.

Steaming seafood platters. Snacks. Assorted bites.

Mountains of cake, pudding, ice cream…

These were leftovers from Bulma's celebration banquet. Levos had simply packed a few portions away.

The fragrance instantly spread through the air.

Android 21 froze.

Her instincts told her the energy inside these foods was negligible. It would do nothing for her evolution.

But another desire, one she'd never truly felt before, surged up from the depths of her soul.

It wasn't just hunger.

It was a longing for something beautiful.

"This is…" she murmured.

"Earth food." Levos popped open an ice-cold soda and took a long drink. "Try it. It's a lot better than devouring people."

21's body trembled.

She stared at a slice of cake decorated with bright strawberries and smooth white cream, hesitating for a long time.

Then, slowly, awkwardly, she picked it up and took a tiny bite.

Boom.

It felt like lightning exploded inside her head.

Sweet cream. Tangy strawberry. Soft sponge cake.

An overwhelming flood of flavor information hit every sense at once.

It was something she had never experienced.

A happiness she couldn't describe spread from her tongue through her entire body.

Her eyes lit up.

Delicious.

So delicious.

A thousand times better than any energy, any lifeform she had ever swallowed.

Devouring enemies only brought the satisfaction of becoming stronger.

But this small bite of food brought a fullness and joy that almost made her dizzy.

Her body stopped craving energy.

It started cheering.

The violent, crazed thoughts in her mind quickly faded, replaced by the pure pleasure of tasting something wonderful.

She stuffed the rest of the cake into her mouth in two bites, then stared at the rest of the table like she'd discovered a new universe.

Levos chuckled and stepped aside.

In the next instant, Android 21 became a blur.

Like a storm.

"Slow down," Levos said, amused. "No one's stealing it from you."

So Earth food really was the ultimate weapon in the Dragon Ball world.

The mountain of food vanished at an absurd speed.

There was nothing graceful about how she ate, but her face overflowed with a joy so pure it almost didn't look real.

In less than a minute, an entire banquet spread, enough for dozens of people, was completely erased.

Even the plates were spotless.

"Hic…" 21 let out a satisfied burp, cheeks flushing slightly red.

The vicious aura around her seemed to soften into something surprisingly peaceful.

She looked at Levos again.

No longer like prey.

Now with curiosity, and something dangerously close to reliance.

"Is… is there more?" she asked softly, a little embarrassed.

"Of course." Levos pulled out another Capsule. "If you want, you can eat like this every day."

Then he looked at her seriously.

"Join us, 21. Fight for Earth. There's endless food there, and plenty of interesting companions. You won't have to survive alone anymore."

"Join you…?" 21 lowered her head. "But… the other me inside my body is dangerous. I'm afraid one day I'll lose control and she'll hurt you… hurt all of you."

"If… if I become that again, you have to stop me. Even if… even if you have to kill me."

Levos smiled lightly. "The fact you can say that proves the kind you is the one in control. You don't need to fear the rest."

"Um…" 21 lifted her head, awkward and shy. "Your name is…?"

"Levos."

"Levos…" Her voice softened. "Thank you. Will you keep helping me? I don't want to become that monster who only knows how to eat anymore."

It was the first time she'd admitted her weakness to someone.

The first time she'd spoken another person's name like it mattered.

"I promise." Levos nodded. "As long as I'm here, I won't let you lose control."

The unease on her face dissolved instantly, replaced by a bright smile.

"Then it's a deal. You can't leave my side. You have to watch me at all times. Only when you're nearby can I feel safe."

"Alright." Levos couldn't help but find it funny.

When he'd first obtained Cell Max's body, he had wanted someone to keep an eye on him too.

Now the roles had flipped.

Just then, Fu's cold voice echoed through the space.

"You two have got to be kidding me. This is not a sightseeing picnic. This is my testing ground."

Fu appeared in midair, pushing up his glasses, an irritated smile on his face.

"Fight with everything you have. Kill each other. That's what you experimental subjects are supposed to do."

Fu truly looked angry.

He had been excited to see what kind of "surprise" this pair would provide.

Instead, after the opening clash, they had turned enemies into allies.

"Contestant Levos, attempting to convert your opponent is a serious violation of the game rules."

"Next, you either fight… or you become fertilizer for this planet."

…

Elsewhere, Trunks' escape continued.

He pushed his aura to its limit, turning into a streak of light as he fled through twisted canyons like a man running from death itself.

Super Saiyan 3 had already drained him dry. Now he could barely manage even a basic Super Saiyan transformation.

Behind him, Broly's ki drew closer and closer, leaving devastation in its wake.

"I can't get away…" Trunks felt that suffocating pressure closing in and a wave of helplessness rose inside him.

His stamina was empty. His speed was slowing.

But Broly's aura was growing stronger, like it could rise endlessly.

"…This is it."

Trunks stopped abruptly.

A transparent wall of air blocked his path.

At the same time, Broly's speed surged again.

A massive shadow swallowed him.

"Dad should be safe now…"

Trunks clenched his teeth, eyes filling with resolve.

"Goodbye, Dad. Goodbye, Mom…"

He gathered every last scrap of energy he had left, then spread it through his entire body.

Broly's huge hand reached for his head.

Trunks looked up, forcing a wide grin.

"Go to hell, monster."

He was about to self-destruct and take Broly with him.

Then—

BOOOOM!!!

A beam detonated behind Broly.

The shockwave slammed into him and flung him away.

Trunks steadied himself and looked up.

He froze.

A small figure had rushed in front of him.

Waist-length golden hair whipped wildly.

Under a ripped battle suit was a spine-straight posture.

Beijitena.

How did she wake up so fast?

And she had reached Super Saiyan 3?!

"Dad!" Trunks was shocked and overjoyed.

"Trunks, you bastard!" Beijitena's voice carried real anger. "Who told you to decide things on your own? I'm the noble Saiyan Prince. Do I need you to protect me?"

"I…"

"Watch closely!" Beijitena spun around, her eyes blazing. "Legendary Super Saiyan or whatever. Today, I'll end that legend with my own hands!"

The moment she woke up, she understood why Trunks had knocked her out.

It almost made her explode on the spot.

Then she remembered the pain of being crushed, the despair of dying, and the rage of seeing Trunks driven into a corner because of her.

And at that moment, a terrifying power erupted inside her.

All those emotions twisted together and became the key to breaking her limits.

Combined with the massive post-near-death boost a Saiyan gains after surviving…

She broke through to Super Saiyan 3.

Golden ki hissed against the air. Lightning arcs crawled over her body.

Trunks stared, stunned. "Is she… actually a genius?"

"ROAR!" Broly was enraged by her sudden surge.

He charged, throwing a heavy punch.

"Pathetic tricks!"

Beijitena didn't dodge. She met it head-on with her own fist.

BOOOOM!!!

A small fist and a massive fist collided.

For one silent heartbeat, the whole world seemed to stop.

Then the explosion came.

Energy chaos swept outward, flattening the canyon into ruin.

Rocks blasted apart. Lava sprayed.

Even the invisible barrier behind Trunks shuddered violently.

"H-how is that possible?" Trunks stared.

Bio-Broly's wrist had been shattered by a single punch.

Dad… had become terrifyingly strong.

Bio-Broly's rage spiked. In his unbroken hand, layers of green energy condensed into a sphere.

In the next second, the fully compressed energy ball shot down at them, trailing a long green tail.

"Final Flash!"

Beijitena fired her own beam to collide with it.

"Don't just stand there, Trunks. Together, we erase him completely!"

"Yes, Dad!"

Trunks forced his weak body to squeeze out every last drop of energy.

He flew to her side, hands spreading in the same stance.

Their Final Flashes fused perfectly.

BOOOOM!!!

The merged beam thickened like a raging flood, devouring the green sphere and tearing straight through Bio-Broly's body, crushing and dissolving him completely.

The golden pillar of destruction didn't stop.

It slammed into the transparent barrier.

RUMBLE—!

The entire space shook.

The barrier rippled violently. On one of the massive chains directly ahead, a tiny crack appeared.

So small that no one noticed.

At last, the light faded.

Trunks and Beijitena dropped to the ground.

Beijitena released Super Saiyan 3, returning to normal. That final attack had drained her completely.

"Thank goodness, Dad… we won…" Trunks collapsed onto the ground, smiling like someone who had just crawled back from death. "Thank you for saving me."

"Hmph! I didn't save you!" Beijitena crossed her arms, exhausted but still forcing herself to stand tall, chin lifted high. "I just can't tolerate anyone humiliating this Prince! And you, idiot. If you ever decide things on your own again, I'll be the first to kill you!"

"Yeah, yeah…" Trunks nodded helplessly.

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