The Tragedy of the Future

The morning sun was bright as a blue-haired youth stood at the base of a cliff.

"Ha, hup, hup, hup!"

Trunks leaped continuously through the mountains, throwing his arms out and jabbing at the air, training with a frantic intensity.

"I will have my revenge. I will win."

Trunks clenched his fist and threw a punch forward; the wind pressure from his strike carved a long trench into the river below the waterfall.

As the energy dissipated, the river water rushed back in, instantly returning to a flat surface.

Looking at his own hands, Trunks gritted his teeth, hating his own weakness.

"It's not enough. This isn't nearly enough. Even Brother Gohan, who could transform into a Super Saiyan, failed. What does my meager ability even amount to?"

"If only I could transform into a Super Saiyan as well, then maybe, two-on-two, we would have a fighting chance."

Just as Trunks was agonizing and putting pressure on himself, an explosion echoed from the distance.

"Damn Androids, you bastards."

Trunks glared toward the horizon, wondering how many people would lose their lives this time.

Just as Trunks prepared to resume his training, there was a sudden movement in the bushes behind him.

"Who's there?"

Trunks whipped his head around, only to see a massive palm expanding in his vision.

It was a green hand covered in black spots, looking for all the world like an alien.

The hand clamped onto Trunks's face. As he tried to struggle and resist, he felt a sudden, sharp pain in his back, and the energy within his body began to be drained uncontrollably.

Peering through the gaps in the creature's fingers, Trunks watched in horror as he realized his attacker was a giant green insect—a bipedal, walking insect.

"Become my nourishment! Hahaha!"

As the creature's tail continued to drain him, Trunks's struggles grew weaker. He felt his eyelids grow heavy, and finally, he closed his eyes in despair.

"Trunks!"

Son Gohan, who had just woken up and was still feeling groggy, had intended to sleep a little longer, but he suddenly felt Trunks's energy vanishing.

It wasn't the kind of disappearance that came from active concealment; it felt like a mighty river whose water level was plummeting rapidly. It was highly abnormal.

Son Gohan knew that Trunks had encountered danger—a life-or-death crisis.

"What is it, Gohan?"

Hearing Son Gohan's voice, Bulma ran in from outside.

Son Gohan ripped the bandages off his body and, without even stopping for shoes, bolted out the door.

With a whoosh, he flew off in a single direction.

"Trunks..."

Bulma seemed to sense something as well, but she refused to believe it. Her figure swayed, and she collapsed onto the floor, her face filled with despair.

"Has this day finally come?"

Below the waterfall, Son Gohan descended from the sky, only to see a familiar set of clothes lying on the ground.

"Trunks."

After landing, Son Gohan looked left and right, desperately trying to find a trace of Trunks.

However, there was no one around, only Trunks's clothes left behind.

Son Gohan picked up the garments with his only remaining hand, feeling a sense of confusion.

Just as he stood there stunned, a black shadow suddenly lunged from the jungle. No sooner had Son Gohan turned his head than he felt a sharp pain in his chest; the creature's razor-sharp claws had pierced straight through him.

"Hahaha, the last Saiyan is mine!"

Cell laughed wildly, then whipped his tail around, plunging it directly into his victim's body.

Son Gohan had no strength left to resist; he could only watch helplessly as his energy was drained away.

His orange martial arts uniform fell to the ground, and Son Gohan, the final warrior, departed this world.

After absorbing Son Gohan, Cell's energy began to skyrocket. His entire body glowed, a golden light washing over him, and then his aura exploded—a more powerful Cell had been born.

The light of a Super Saiyan flickered, and Cell's eyes shone with excitement.

"Having absorbed two Saiyans, my strength has surged once again. Android 17, Android 18, this time I will definitely devour you both."

Cell activated his tracking function, quickly pinpointing the locations of Android 17 and Android 18, and transformed into a streak of light, flying toward them.

Meanwhile, Android 18, who was in the middle of changing clothes, suddenly sensed the energy in the distance, her expression turning grave.

"As expected of the ultimate Android created by Dr. Gero. Truly terrifying."

Android 17, who was outside drinking juice, also felt the energy and couldn't help but speak up.

"Judging by the intensity of this aura, to be able to increase so much in such a short time, those two remaining Saiyans must have been consumed."

The two looked at each other and spoke in unison.

"Attack together."

The two did not shy away from the fight, erupting with white auras that enveloped their bodies as they flew directly toward their opponent.

Noticing that they hadn't fled but had instead chosen to fly straight at him, Cell smiled knowingly.

"Truly seeking death."

On the other side, Bulma sat slumped in a chair, her eyes vacant as she stared at the azure sky, her heart nothing but a hollow gray.

"The last hope is gone. Why couldn't you hold on just a little longer? Gohan, Trunks, if only we could have hidden for a few more days, perhaps the time machine could have been completed."

"It was so close, just a little bit more!"

Having struggled for over a decade only to fail in the end, the state of Bulma's heart could well be imagined.

Just then, in an open space not far away, countless white light ions emerged, condensing into an energy vortex. As the white light dissipated, three figures appeared on the ground.

"Son Goku, Vegeta, this is the other timeline, though it seems time has passed a bit faster here."

Gamos surveyed the surrounding environment, but soon sensed that something was wrong.

"Where are the people on this planet? Why is it so empty?"

Son Goku spoke with a grave expression, a very bad premonition taking hold of her.

"Kakarot, look over there."

Vegeta, hovering in the air, pointed toward a stretch of ruins in the distance.

Son Goku flew up as well, but the scene that met her eyes left her shocked.

The once bustling, magnificent metropolis was now nothing but broken walls and rubble; where could any trace of humanity be found?

"What on earth is going on? Who destroyed the Earth like this?"

Vegeta's expression suddenly shifted, his face turning ashen as he spoke.

"My Bulma!"

In his desperation, Vegeta finally lost his composure, flying toward a distant direction with a face full of terror.