A Wonderful Life
By: SomeRandomPerson648
Chapter 61: Open Wounds
A/N: Hey guys! I'd like to take a moment to thank Akira Toriyama and all that he's done prior to his recent passing. He's touched many lives with his manga and I'm sure that he'd be happy to know that he's sparked so much joy in so many people's lives. May he rest in peace
Time solidyfied as Cell turned to face Android 21. For what felt like hours he analyzed the shock that plagued her face and the dread in her eyes. Caught in the moment he spotted the exact second she realized what happened, a moment now burned into his memory as he witnesssed surprise twist into horror. Yet the information didn't register properly. Surely his imagination led him to believe that the worst, no, the unthinkable happened. He couldn't interpret the pleading gaze she gave him as she clutched the emptyness in her chest
That was until his world came crashing down
Like ripping himself from a dream Cell jolted as he witnessed his friend and ally fall from the sky. Quickly he rushed to her aid, catching her mid-air and zooming to the ground. A wave of hatred and self-loathing attacked him like a knife before it was cleared out by panic. His thoghts slurred in alarm as he tried to think of ways to fix the fatal wound, if at all possible
"I need a Senzu Pill!" He screamed to himself as he ripped the tiny bag from 21's waist and yanked at a single green pill. With delicacy he slipped the medicine in between violent coughs and waited a few tense seconds for any sign of an effect. Yet as precious seconds passed in vain he questioned himself
However upon placing a hand on his own chest he could only feel air, the minor discovery answering his very question. His own body struggled to heal the wound from the energy sword, which had been deliberately left in for long enough to comepletely cauterize the hole in his chest. Likewise the Senzu Pills failed to heal anything that the body wouldn't eventually fix itself, mirroring the effects of the original Senzu Beans. In other words...
"The damn things don't work!" He slammed a fist into the ground
With about as much nerve as he could muster he stared at the charred, burnt skin to determine the extent of the damage. The attack had not only destroyed one of her lungs, which she did not necessarily need due to being part Frost Demon, but it had also taken away a portion of her heart. Had she been a normal human she would've died on the spot yet her artificial body fought tooth and nail to keep her alive and conscious
"If she was fully Majin she'd easily regenerate this wound!!" He ranted, frustrated with the uselessness of her body's form. Unlike what her skin and hair suggested she did not hold the powers of bodily manipulation or magic like the Majins did. But if she did...
As if to answer his unspoken prayer help came in the form of the Majin Prestina who appeared seconds later with grevious wounds and holes in her body, having rushed through the prison of ki attacks without caring for her own well being. Despite the immense urgency she locked in place, staring deeply at the hole that went through her chest
"Can you heal her?" Cell questioned, pulling her to face him dead in the eye. He could see the fear and worry freeze her expressions, the thoughts in her head stuttering as they came out
"I-I can try! But I've never used my magic to heal such an injury!"
"I can supply you with ki!" He insisted
Soon enough the proceedure began. The bio-weapon placed a hand on both Majin and half-Majins and watched as the flow of pink magic seeped into the Android's body. To his grand relief he saw the basketball sized hole disappear, replaced by the hot pink skin of the Android. He'd almost cried with joy when he noticed something horribly wrong
Her life's energy continued to drop regardless of the constant stream of energy he poured in. Her power and life left her like a leaky bucket of water, pouring its contents out into the open. Cell had thought his solution was the theoretical patch, but even as he supplied her with more Ki it all disappeared into nothingness, passing through her
"What the hell?! Why didn't it work? The hole closed!" He yelled, startling the Majin within arms length. But with a meek and powerless voice Android 21 spoke up, already knowing her problem
"It's the Life Support."
"What?"
"My body," she began in between huffs of breath, "its controlled by a series of circuits... that powers the artificial sides of my body. Without them my body's systems collapse..."
"And those circuits were destroyed," Cell filled in the blanks, "although your biology is intact the machinery is ruined. WIthout a proper system of circuits and conductors to power your artificial body then... you'll die regardless of the fact..."
"But I healed her! That has to count for something!" Prestina argued
"She's not a normal human Prestina, she's mostly machine by now." Cell explained. "She's powered not just by her heart but by a system of currents and wires all throughout the body. There's no telling what's broken and how we can fix it before it all fails and destroys her body from the inside. And without any form of Dragonballs in this timeline either..."
"And even with my demonic powers of creation I can't just pick her apart and put her together again like she really was a robot."
Cell's legs buckled under the weight of his desperation. Try as he might he couldn't think of a proper solution to this problem. He'd given her a Senzu Pill, Magic healing and supplied her with a vast pool of Ki yet it only delayed her from walking through death's door. And unlike the normal solution to death in his world there were no Dragonballs to fix any and all problems like normal. He saw the weakness in her expressions, her movements slowing to a near standstill as though she were turning to stone. The only thing that kept her from solidifyng fully was her attempt to outstretch her hand and hold Cell's own, but even that was cut short as it fell by his side
With a heavy heart Cell kneeled beside the dying 21, holding her hand and looking into her tired eyes. Her stone gaze made him uncomfortable, eyes that normally full of life and happiness were now blackening, filling with despair to the reality of her situation. He felt the mountianous weight of his own mistakes and failings under the palm of her slumped hand. What he looked at now was a shell of the 21 he knew, a slab of rock that didn't hold a candle to the living and breathing person it resembled. Worst of all was Cell's inability to provide comfort or reassurance to his greatest friend, to return the warmth that she once gave him when all was getting colder. He was too logical of a person to pretend there was an imaginary solution to her ailment, too negative to spout meaningless drivel about hope and the future while they were stationed at the bottom of an active war zone
"Cell... I had a great time... being your friend." She began, slowly losing her breath with every word. "I should've been stronger... help you more than what I was did in the end."
With nothing but a light squeeze Cell conveyed his answer fully, forcing 21 to change her words. "I'm sorry I wasn't able to support you like you did me. And that I won't be there for you in the future... when you need me, when everyone needed me."
"You did more than enough 21."
"But I could've done more." She stressed, perverbially and literally dying on a hill of her own
With a long sigh and a lost tear both Androids and the Majin could sense that the final seconds were upon them as 21's energy drained from her soul like sand in an hourglass. For a moment Cell could feel the tiniest instant of her freezing hands squeeze as tight as they could. She shut her eyes as hard as she could, almost conversing with herself but in reality it was towards the soul, another bystander who was capable of seeing and experiencing death without truly dying. Cell hoped and prayed that he never recieve such information, even against his will
"Cell," 21 pleaded, "can you promise me that you'll keep living. Even without me?"
The bio-weapon stiffened by the words, turning to stone before 21 could herself. He understood the subtler implications, she knew well enough about him and what he was before to understand what might happen. But Cell dreaded the future with all his heart. He shuddered to think past the next minute let alone the next hour or even day. Yet in his paralyzed state he saw her open her eyes, revealing a floodgate of tears that she'd tried to hold back. Her final signs of life oozed out of her, burning hot water falling to the cold dead floor as Cell could do nothing but watch
"Promise me."
...
...
"I promise."
"Then...I'm glad I was able to help you... as much as I could."
The final drops of energy passed through the now empty pool of 21's heart and in its place was a rocky conplextion. The weight of the hand he held was no longer sustained by the force of her body, dropping like a stone. Amist the stillness of death the last available action left was for Cell to lower her hand. Only now did she truly appear as a lifeless corpse, devoid of energy despite Cell continuing to pump more in a fruitless attempt to bring her back. But as he finally let go of the empty husk and severed his connection did he feel truly alone. At least until the soul emerged from the body, a ball of light removing itself from the dark body and floating in place. The soul chose to remain detached, floating above the once 21 and mourning the loss
For a long while the two remained still, including the Majin that witnessed the events firsthand. The somber atmosphere contrasted the loud and abrasive battle of life and death that took place above. Although Prestina did her best to ignore it Cell was comepletely ignorant, choosing to spend more of his time mourning the first loss that truly mattered
Away from the massive battle that decided the fate of the timeline two mysterious warriors floated in place, observing with curious eyes the battle below them. The spectators were both blue in skin color with white hair, pointed ears and wearing red clothes that vaugely resembled those of a warrior and a sorceress. But while the male seemed to look on with cold, disinterested eyes the female holding a staff stared with what seemed like an analytical gaze masking the smirk she held. Their purpose was unknown but the most that any right mind could understand is that they weren't supposed to be here
"When will you begin the takeover? The Time Patrol will be here soon." The man asked impatiently yet remained calm with his arms crossed
"In a few moments, I must savor these moments as long as I can." The woman replied, staring at the floor below the large scale battle rather than the skies above it
However, inturrupting her sightseeing was a powerful ki blast aimed directly at her face. Were it not for an invisible barrier that protected her she might've been more than a little annoyed, although the dust that momentairily obstructed her view pulled her back to her senses
A ways ahead of the pair a lone warrior floated, the bane of their mission and existence. A Frost Demon with black, angular horns and red patches of skin in between white armor glared with his blood red eyes, challenging them to fight back. Were it any other time the pair would retaliate accordingly, although this time things were different
"I'll entertain our guest." The mysterious male declared. "But I suggest you hurry else we get caught this time."
The man floated in front of his companion, blocking the assailant's path and eyeing him before disappearing from sight along with his opponent
For a moment the woman cursed herself, despising how true the assesment was. She couldn't afford to enjoy the specticale for as long as she pleased. So, unceremoniously, she pointed the tip of her staff at a grieving warrior and watching as a dark purple ki floated towards the bio-weapon, dissapearing into the air between them and settling within her target
"You'll pay for what you've done. But for the moment, enjoy your pain a little while longer."
Inturrupting Cell's feelings of pain and loss was a familiar, invasive presence that quickly rooted itself in his heart and soul. Like the winding back of a clock his emotions reversed his grieving and settled on one dominating feeling... Anger
The Android hadn't even thought past the death of his friend yet he suddenly found himself staring daggers at the green man above him. His pompus and pretentious attitude as he beat the others within an inch of their lives. He felt himself incapable of sympathizing with the pain that his 'teammates' endured and instead focused his gaze at the man who did it. His immediate visceral reaction was in the form of his tensing muscles, his body holding itself back from his exploding anger. Soon he felt his emotions shift on a dime, the overwhelming feelings of saddness that overtook him were morphed into a vile hatred directed at one singular man. No... God
"Zamasu..." He heaved under his breath, catching Prestina and the soul off guard. It was only until he spoke did they notice the anger that was written on his face
"Cell?" The pink girl asked, worried by the sudden shift in atmosphere. For a second she imagined that she was seeing a strange color of light emanate from his body, seeping out of him like raw emotions taking shape and form as ki
That was until the strange ki seemed to grow and expand, forcing the two to realize that it was not their imagination. Quickly the soul intruded upon Cell's own, dissapearing into his chest. Yet the overwhelming sense of malice choked the being and spat it back out, rejected by an unknown force that was not a part of him, or at least not normally
Yet to Cell he could only feel the familar sense of hatred rising within him. It had been years since he'd felt this power, a malevolent force that brewed within him. His mind flashed to the evil Wizard Babidi and his mind tried to sense the incoming danger. However, he felt no such thing. No intruding mind, no domineering force or shackle that loomed over his heart and soul. Instead he only felt the best part, the enjoyable part. The power!
"Zamasu!!!" He yelled, his power exploding out from him as he looked up at the sky
The God, hearing the creation speak his name thought nothing of it at first. However, when he noticed the rising of ki that trumped the power of the other mortals he quickly turned to see the Bio-Android rocket towards him at supersonic speeds. The next thing he knew a fist collided with his face using enough force to shove him backwards and recenter his focus. When he looked back he no longer saw the pathetic creation of mortals that defied the will of the Gods but instead a creature of pure malice. The aura that surrounded the Android seemed to be the fundimental bane of the Gods, a creature of senseless destruction that locked its eyes on the most powerful devine being. When before the most he had were parlor tricks that demons and mortals used he now resembled a demon himself and partook in the powers that they once held a millennia ago
"Impossible! Such malice hasn't existed for centuries!"
"I don't care about your damned mission! I'm going to kill you for what you've taken from me!" He yelled with as much venom as he could muster before rushing him down, quickly overwhelming the fused God
Beside them the other warriors recovered their breathes as Cell did more than distract the fusion. The collective confusion caused them to look on with awe and worry for what was occuring. To those who knew it appeared as though Cell unlocked a malevolent power of his own and was using it to fight toe to toe with the God. To everyone else they recognized the origin of this evil power and scurried to find its source, yet they couldn't find any energy source related to the long dead wizard nor could they look too hard
"Everyone!" A familiar voice called out, pulling their attentions towards Prestina, holding the body of Android 21
"She's... She's..." She began but didn't finish. They knew
"What? How could this happen we have ways of healing her!" Gohan questioned, outraged at the loss of another life
"She took those pills but they didn't help! I used my magic but she's still broken! Cell said that she was machine and-"
"Couldn't be fixed in time." Vegeta finished
The cold reminder of their situation slowly dawned upon Gohan and Trunks alike as he stared at the new corpse to engrain into their minds. The familiar sense of helplessness returned in equal amounts for the two battle hardened warriors
A momentary silence befell the Z Warriors, respecting the loss of one of their own. Yet the stress of the situation did not allow them time to dwell on it. While Buu, Prestina and the Cell Jr. hung around the body, processing the loss the more battle harded warriors were quick to try and move on, knowing that the grieving should be saved for later
"Can Cell really beat Zamasu?"
"I doubt it." Vegeta stated. "Power like his doesn't last long. Like the a Super Saiyan three he's burning through too much of his own power for his every action."
"Although he doesn't seem to have a limit now," Goku continued, "it won't be long before he tires out. And add to it Zamasu's immortal..."
"Then we should prepare a counter." Gohan stated, looking expectantly at both full-blooded Saiyans
"Well, we did get the potaras." Goku suggested
"We can't fuse and get in the way of Cell's battle, he's clearly not in his right mind." Vegeta dissagreed
"Then I'll use the Spirit Bomb! With Cell's help I'll collect energy from the whole universe and throw it at Zamasu, surely he won't recover from that."
"It's worth a shot." They half agreed, although the effectiveness of the attack was inwardly debated
Yet with no clear dissagreements the Saiyan threw his hands into the air and began the long and arduous process of collecting energy, shooting his senses as far as he could and creating a tiny orb of ki that progressively got larger. Despite the presence of the lost Android the group was forced to shelve the matter, only going as far as to set the body down with the Cell Jr. and the two Majins being the only ones to guard her. Yet even then the group spared a glance at the fallen warrior
At the center of the struggle Zamasu and Cell continued to battle. For every blow that Zamasu was able to deflect and avoid Cell found himself becoming more wreckless. His attacks got sloppy, ignoring the baser principles of combat and opting to throw his fists as fast and as hard as he could, a beast-like energy overwhelming his mind and soul. The turning point finally came when a punch overextened itself, allowing Zamasu to turn in place and swipe his energy swords at Cell and stab him in one go
To his surprise the blade did not fully pierce through the Android's exoskeleton but instead slowly burned it away. The frozen arm gave Cell the opportiunity to clutch it with both hands and yank it at two opposite ends, breaking it as it bent into the shape of an 'S'. For a brief second the God staggered from the injury, not expecting the assailent to grab his other and slam it between his elbow and knee, severing the joint and causing it to limp to his side
For a moment the God was shocked that he found himself so helpless, with two useless arms that would soon return to normal. But before he could begin his monologe Cell intervined, force growing his nails on one hand into sharp knife-like objects and swiping them at his throat. When he tried to voice his outrage the only noise he made was a silent cry with no air. But most enraging of all was the short moment Cell took to himself, analyzing the blood on his fingers and looking back as though to taunt the God. The two watched the green blood trickle down his hand and fall to the Earth below. For a second it seemed as though Cell were making a statement yet he refused to speak up, only staring between his hand and the God
Swiftly Cell sidestepped a desperate kick and used his hand to impale the God's chest, lingering for a moment longer before he began throwing clawing strikes all over the God's torso like a cat lashing out. Eventually he changes tactics, using a bloodied hand to grab Zamasu by the shoulder and the other to begin sock him clear in the face. There was no advantage to repeating the same motion over and over, most especially against a formidable and immortal opponent. Yet Cell felt the sick pleasure within him rise for every strike that landed, crushing bones that he knew would be healed in moments yet he simply did not care. To him he was doing more than enacting his revenge... he was using the ever regenerating yet ever helpless God as a stress reliever
Eventually Zamasu's arms reformed, allowing him to block one strike and preventing Cell from achieving the satisfaction of landing the next. Frustrated Cell jumped in place to slam his knee into the hasty guard, turning to follow up with a kick that sent the God flying backwards. He shot a nameless beam after his opponent yet he was quick to react, bringing his hands to the sides of his face to create a portal that ate the now harmless attack. And yet when the portal dissapeared he could no longer find Cell where he once was, only seeing the new portal meant to be behind him. To his shock he felt something sharp and hot pierce through his chest and keep him immobilized allowing the black beam appear once again through the portal, shooting out and hitting its original target. Even though the blast was able to damage him it was nothing but surface level, ruining his pink and purple outfit further and inflicting him with burns
Like a spent doll Zamasu was tossed to the side, regaining his structure only for a fist to swipe at his face and a foot to sweep his legs. The moment his back faced the ground he found Cell looming over him with a glowing fist slamming down onto him. The energy and power of the attack sent him crashing to the ground and before he knew it a thin red beam of energy shot after him, cutting through his body and the ground only to bend back and cut through him again
The bending Death Beam continued to twist back to cut into the God until it caged him in place and exploded. Were it not for his regeneration that reformed his missing parts from thin-air he would surely be turned into paste. But to his surprise he felt an irregularity within himself, and sure enough he touched the right side of his face to feel a strange purple goo seep from him, improperly forming his face as though it struggled to take shape
The surprise he felt trumped that of the surprise he recieved by a falling fist from the sky, but even the enraged Cell took a moment to analyze the strange occurance while floating above the immobile God
"My body... it fails to take shape!" He exclaimed, pulling at the liquid part of his face and questioning himself. Even his right arm seemed to be partially broken, fighting to keep its shape. However, the cackling Android could already guess what was happening
"You're mortal after all!" He laughed, shocking the immortal. "Even though you're an immortal half of you is still mortal. So when your body is destroyed part of you doesn't come back at all. Which means..." Without hesitation Cell raised his arm to the sky, summoning a large red ball of energy that resembed a darkened sun. "If I beat you down enough then you'll turn into a useless slop of a God!"
Soon the energy attack shot towards the helpless God who was too distracted to avoid the attack. As a consequence of his own hubris and lack of mindfullness he found himself struggling to push back the large ball of ki. He burrowed further into the ground as the attack shoved him deeper and deeper into the ground
"What the hell! Is he trying to destroy the planet?" The others exclaimed from the sidelines, watching helplessly as the ball of energy sunk into the Earth
But unbeknownst to them Zamasu cursed himself for his helplessness, expending all of his might to push back at the explosive moon. Reluctantly he was jammed into a corner and only saw one way out, a prayer to a power even higher
"Light of Devine Justice! Strike me and destroy the heathens who dare combat my will!"
As though to answer his call to action the dark clouds above began to brew a dark energy, a purple lightning storm brewing with a strange power. The storm crackled and grew in size until it created a massive bolt of lighting that struck down towards the God in need. Cell was stunned as the lightning passed through him, frying his nerves and cooking him from the inside out as he momentarily blacked out from pain. But in those moments of unconsioucness the lightning phased through the minature sun, dissipating as if it was absorbing its power like a puddle becoming part of a lake. The mountain of energy shot into the fused God and now coursed through his veins and exploding out its wake
Soon the bio-weapon came back to his senses as his body regerated itself at abnormal speeds. An intense sense of confusion struck him as he could no longer feel his hold on Frieza's signature Supernova. It took him too long to realize that a surprise attack caused him to lose precious moments of conciousness. Before he could recenter himself he saw an arm twice the size of his chest slam into him with a force that exceeded his expectations
Finally having a moment to recover Cell looked back to see the force of nature that struck him. Loe and behold was a now monstrous form of the fused God. His clothes from the waist up were in tatters, revealing a vertical line that split him down the middle, one half a liquid purple and the other a normal green. Most important he now towered over the Android with a build thrice a bulky, especially his right arm with grew to unsettling lengths. His new form, although powerful, was indicative of his deteriorating state
"I'll eradicate this plague that is mortals! Beginning with you!"
Without warning his left hand began to glow a strange turquoise light, using the hand to swipe a finger in the air to create a strange rift in front of him. Like the shattering of glass large Ki shards began shooting from the thin rift of the air, launching after Cell and cutting him down. As the shards of glass-like Ki passed through the Android a large portal formed behind him, absorbing the glass shards and shooting back at him from a different angle multiple times. The Android became akin to paper in a paper shredder and before long Zamasu used his enlarged hand to punch the rift, causing every shard of glass to explode at once
The violent chain of explosions nearly wiped Cell from existence were it not for his enhanced durability. Quickly the tiny pieces of him formed back into his normal body in seconds but leaving him open to Zamasu's fist. With one swipe the arm destroyed Cell's last second guard, throwing his arms to the side and leaving him defenseless. The towering fusion spun in place to smash his back with a gigantic fist and slam his knee into his exposed stomach. In one final move he brought his right arm up for a powerful hammer strike, swinging it down only to hit air
Using Instant Transmission Cell teleported out of harm's way and allowing him to launch a swiping kick at his enemy. But surprisingly the attack had little effect, leaving Cell open to yet another punch from the arm the size of a tree trunk
The Android was paralyzed by his broken shell, the exoskeleton having caved in and causing the chest area to leak blood. Even though Cell could barely feel any pain in his state the positioning made him damn near immobile. In order to heal the wound Cell was forced to rip his own exoskeleton off, temporarily revealing the green muscles inside before a new armor took the place of the old one. Yet the moment Cell finished healing he found himself being gunned down by a barrage of Ki. Near the end of the barrage Zamasu flew up and punched the balled up Cell yet again, his body reverberating like a hammer striking a bell
The God threw his right fist yet again but Cell collected himself and easily dodged the attack, sidestepping into the exposed side of his opponent. But the attack was a mere feint as Zamasu backhanded Cell in his attempt to counterattack. The Android was nearly knocked out of his rage-filled state but held on with sheer force of will, rushing in only to meet with the end of an energy blade, locking him in place
"You'll repent for your insolence." Zamasu declared, keeping his crazed gaze upon the bug-like Android. From point blank range Cell was blasted from the sky by the sword itself, tearing his body to shreds and leaving him in ruins
For a third time Cell found himself struggling to recover from Zamasu's attacks, turning the tables against him again. Whereas before every attack felt like a sponge to him now he could feel his whole body tremble from the stress of defending himself. And yet the one thing that kept him going was a rage that he could no longer identify, an anger that lost its meaning as soon as the first rush of pleasure overtook him. In his panic he was stunned by his own self realization, an important piece of the puzzle that he lost in his insanity
"What am I fighting for?" He wondered, searching his now foggy memory for answers yet finding nothing but a blinding hatred towards the pompous God
Yet in his mindless state he was oblivious to the fusion warrior's growing attack, a glowing yellow ball that seemed to compact a torrent of Ki within. Without realizing it Cell had distracted himself for long enough to be caught off guard and as a result he was now at the butt-end of his own extinction
"Accept your devine punishment!!"
Cell could not hear anything over the turmoil in his head, fighting himself with as much ferocity as he did the beachball of destruction and forcing his mind to look past the rage and pain that he felt in the moment to gather a semblance of sense within himself. However, the more his mind cleared up the more of his newfound energy he seemed to lose. Little by little the dark purple aura dissipated, a blessing being revoked by the higher being that granted it and as the gears in his head finally turned he found himself powerless once again
The moment Cell was finally in the right state of mind he had enough sense to deeply regret his new position. In spite of the fog that invaded his mind he understood that he was winning, the blind rage that made him forget about himself in its wake had done more than what he thought possible. But with it gone there was very little he could do but brace himself
"Why can't I... avenge her!!"
The final nail in his coffin was the explosion of the ball that he desperately held back, destroying his body in such a way that he was left with only a fraction of himself. Yet as the pathetic mass crashed into the ground like falling meteor it was unable to gather the energy needed to restore itself, removing Cell from the fight
With the Bio-Weapon's sudden defeat Zamasu found himself cackling at his victory, gripping the side of his face that slowly melted away. There was now nothing left but to turn his attention to the group of stragglers that remained. He flew after them in the blink of an eye and continued laughing at their fruitless efforts. A handful of them attacked him but to no avail, easily batting them aside with a Ki enhanced roar. The entire group was flung to wayside like ants falling off of an arm, all except a single Saiyan who replicated a technique of the Gods
"You mortals continue to defy the will of the gods even in your final hours." He exclaimed, looking up to see the incomplete Spirit Bomb. "You cling to hope when there is none left! Even when faced with a being of immeasurable strength you continue to squander in your useless defiance. What point is there to the struggle when it will all end eventually?"
To that there was a sole contender. A purple haired mortal who, in spite of his broken left arm, floated just in front of the lone Saiyan as though to protect him
"Trunks!"
"Gods... can never understand what we mortals live for, especially you!" Trunks declared, surprising the Godly fusion. "We fight everyday to protect what's ours. Not just ourselves, but our friends and our families are what we strive to keep safe from the world that's against us. And even if we fail... even if we scratch and claw and bite our way through we'll never stop fighting for what's ours!"
As if to prove his own point Trunks unleashed his Super Saiyan form, too spent to go any further. He outstretched his intact arm and held firm in his stance. "We'll never die. Even if you kill us here there will always be someone to stand up against you and your evil!"
"Then let it be so..."
Holding out his arm Zamasu gathered energy into his last attack, one that would not only erase two mortals at once but also nullify the Spirit Bomb above him, potentially erasing the planet he strove to keep intact. Yet that was a sacrifice he was willing to make
But the one who resented the God the most was barely able to stand on his own. With no beans or Majin magic to rely on Gohan shakily rose to his feet, staring at the impending doom of his long lost disciple and father
"This can't be it. We can't lose like this. I can't lose them again!" He raged, feeling a spark of a long lost feeling within himself
"I'm not helpless, I can fight till the bitter end! Even if it means my death I'll never stop!"
For years he's dealt with the worst the universe has to offer and all just to lose at the very end, dying in a meaningless struggle to end all of the pain he's suffered. The injustice of being ripped from a lackluster life after all he's gone through... It brought about an all too familiar sensation within himself. Not since Nappa, Frieza, Dabura or the Androids had he felt such a way. It was like he unlocked a dormant power within himself, one that refused to show itself even in his decades of hopeless struggle
"I can't let this stand!" He yelled, shooting out to the center of the struggle and intercepting the attack that would've ended his father and disciple
"Gohan?!" Trunks gasped, staring at the Hybrid Saiyan as he pushed back against the attack. As a mere Super Saiyan he fought tooth and nail to delay the inevitable with an unprecedented amount of recklessness, an action he's repressed countless times before
"This can't be the end. Not now. Not after everything that's happened." Gohan repeated, feeling lightning course through his veins and the glow of his aura shine even brighter. "After all the death and slaughter that I've endured I won't let this stand! I'll fight to the end to make sure we protect what's left!"
The future warrior began yelling as loud as he can all while summoning every bit of willpower that he could. Slowly he was enveloped with not just sparks of lightning but with bits and pieces of a blue light. At the apex of his struggle the attack exploded, enveloping him and his allies with dust. Yet with one final scream he blew it all away, summoning a pillar of golden light mixed with blue
Zamasu was aghast by the impromptu transformation. Never could he have guessed that mortals could contain such power locked deep within them. From the Frost Demons to the Saiyans to now this!
And now, staring down at him were a pair of white eyes with no pupils. A wrathful expression seemed to stare at not just him but at what he stood for, a higher power that came to impose its will upon mortals. Unlike Cell who was clouded with a blind rage this new form of anger was crystal clear in its target, the withering God who opposed him
"This is the end Zamasu! This is what we mortals stand for!" Gohan yelled, shooting after the God with an unmatched speed
Quickly the fusion brought his enlarged arm to defend him only for the incoming fist to break it, folding the purple mass and hitting his face regardless. As a retaliation he swung the loose mass at his opponent but missing entirely, watching as Gohan the palm of his hand shot forward to blast him with compressed air
For a second the lumbering deity was thrown back, given enough room for him to heal his broken arm and run back into the fray. He attempted to land a strike with his right arm but the lack of speed allowed Gohan to easily turn to his exposed side unharmed. Due to its length the Hybrid Saiyan launched a kick to the side of his stomach, grabbing his arm and spinning in place to land a kick to the center of his chest in quick succession. Left gasping for air the God was held by the arm and spun in place, twirling in the air at dizzying speeds before he was thrown at full velocity
Eventually the world stopped spinning for the fusion, regaining his balance and staring at the glowing mortal with indignation. He held out his arms to the sides and felt his ki form behind him in the shape of a titanic purple eagle looming over the earth in all its godly glory. With the point of a finger the cloud of electricity and heat began shooting bolts of lighting aimlessly into the battlefield, eventually making their way to the warrior in gold. But the golden warrior was able to avoid the artificial thunderstorm by weaving around the blasts of lightning that quickly became colums of light. The amazed and annoyed God watched as the Hybrid Saiyan blitzed in and out of sight until eventually he was no longer in sight, disappearing from the battlefield
"Where in the hell is-"
"Right here." He said
Before the God could whip to his side he felt the backside of a fist slam into him, hurtling him straight into the radius of his own attack. Before long Zamasu found himself being struck down by the very power he summoned to help him, pillars of light and energy striking him down like the mortals it was meant to combat. The assault lasted a full minute before the thunderstorm dissipated, yet when the light show stopped the large fusion was nowhere to be seen
But Gohan already knew where he was, dashing forward and feeling the woosh of barely missing punch. In a swift motion the Hybrid turned to face his reappearing opponent and launch another punch. But this time the blow was deflected by the swipe of an arm, exposing his chest for Zamasu to drive a ball of ki into it. Speedily Gohan brought his other arm and created a ki attack to block the other, both exploding and creating a thick smokescreen that left Zamasu coughing
With his frustrations rising the fused Kai yelled, his voice infusing with ki to create a roar that blasted away the dust. But the moment it blew away he witnessed his mortal enemy phase into existence, hunched over at his side and springing up to land a rising uppercut into his jaw
"Damn you!" The fused Kai yelled, rushing in with a purple Ki blade in his smaller hand
The lumbering God flew into range and furiously hacking and slashing away at the air. But with an incredible speed Gohan managed to bob and weave in and out of the attack's range, slipping a few jabs onto the exposed areas of the God. Eventually the time came for Gohan to retaliate, swiping his hand as though it were a blade and severing Zamasu's green arm. As the limb fell out of the sky the half Saiyan slammed a fist into his opponent's abdomen and causing him to double over
"Had enough?" He asked, leaning into the ear of the Kai thrice his size
"You... You insufferable wretch!!" Zamasu screamed, infusing Ki into his roar and blasting Gohan backwards
Seeing his opponent Zamasu threw a Ki attack the size of his enlarged hand only for the attack to be slapped away. The mortal and the immortal floated still as the attack exploded, an immense dome vaporizing a string of buildings outside the makeshift battlefield
"You foolish mortal. You truly believe you can change the world with your own efforts?" Zamasu questioned, glaring at the single warrior who's defied the odds many times before. "I am aware of your world's history, strife and destruction led by mere creations of human hands. Your ultimate ruination was by the hands of a force you could no longer control, a force meant to destroy all in its path."
"Were it not for you breaking one of the most sacred laws of the Kai's your eventual destruction would have been guaranteed." He declared, emphasizing the dark skies and ruined buildings littered in the distance. "And yet by your annoying tenacity you've defied your own destiny and carved a fate that was not meant to be. I can think of no greater sin to justify your eradication. For it not me then it would have been other forces of nature. I'd say you'll be granted a mercy."
"You're wrong." Gohan stated, glancing at the moon-sized ball of Ki that illuminated through the dark clouds, parting them away with its radiance. "It's in human nature to fight against all odds, to prevail against all evil even if it is by our own hands. We grow stronger from anything you throw at us, and even when facing extinction we all do our part to help each other, even across the stars."
"Your plan can never come true not because you can't kill us but because you can never destroy what we stand for! And by everything I believe in I'll make sure we all live to see the next day and avenge those we've lost!!"
For one final push the two warriors flew after each other, slamming their opposite arms against each other and clashing in place as they fought for dominance. Their auras whipped against each other, blowing a torrent of air and Ki every which way. And yet the winner of the match easily pushed back the other, forcing their arm to retreat slowly
"I won't lose to the likes of you sinners!!" Zamasu yelled, turning in place and swinging his purple arm at Gohan to catch him off guard
But to his surprise the golden warrior blocked the attack with his other arm that glowed a radiant blue color
"You're through Zamasu!!" Gohan yelled, lunging further into range and impaling his glowing fist into the large man's chest
With a violent explosion the attack blasted the immortal skyward, enveloping him in a burning light towards the Spirit Bomb ahead. And like a comet rocketing towards the scorching sun Zamasu was enveloping in the overwhelming energy of the universe. Not just mortals, but the plants and animals he so admired from across the cosmos filled the energy ball that now burned him away
"This can't be happening!" He screamed, feeling a dark purple energy envelope him as the Spirit Bomb disintegrated him. Soon there were no visible remains of the bane of mortals
As the light of the Spirit Bomb faded in its place a gaping hole was left in the clouds, revealing the shining sun above. And as Gohan stared at the sky that had refused to show itself for months he felt the anger in his heard turn into a deep satisfaction with himself
"We did it... We finally won."