Vegeta VS Android 18

Android 18 casually flicked the strands of hair before her forehead aside with her thumb. The gesture was carefree and languid, yet carried a hint of nonchalant provocation. Her eyes held undisguised composure.

Vegeta clenched his fist and held it out before him, his voice icy as he delivered his pre-battle declaration. "Let me warn you first. Even though you're a woman, I won't go easy on you." He paused, his tone gaining a touch of scorn. "Though, come to think of it, you don't really count as a woman—you're just an android."

The moment his words fell, both assumed fighting stances, the air around them instantly taut with tension. The next second, Android 18 struck first, her fist shooting straight at Vegeta's face with fierce speed. Vegeta reacted swiftly, raising a hand to block it solidly, but Android 18's assault did not pause. Her second punch followed immediately. Fists blurred and clashed as the two traded blows without giving an inch, neither able to gain the upper hand.

In the midst of the stalemate, Android 18 spotted an opening and knocked Vegeta back with a heavy punch. Seizing the advantage, she followed with another blow aimed at his chest. This time, Vegeta twisted aside in time. Android 18's fist smashed into the cliff behind him, her entire forearm plunging into the hard rock as loose stones pattered down.

Vegeta seized that fleeting chance, grabbing Android 18's arm with his backhand. With all his strength, he viciously hurled her toward the cliff. Android 18 slammed into the rock wall with a dull boom, cracking the cliff's edge as a massive chunk of stone crashed down. The tremendous commotion startled the birds nesting on a nearby hill into flight. Android 16 watched the frightened flock scatter, and his normally calm expression shifted ever so slightly, a trace of barely perceptible pain passing through his eyes.

Vegeta pressed his attack, flashing before Android 18 and chopping sharply at her neck with a knifehand strike. Android 18 lightly sidestepped it. He gave her no chance to catch her breath, driving a knee hard toward her abdomen—only for Android 18 to swiftly cross her arms and catch it firmly. In that brief deadlock, Vegeta suddenly exerted force and smashed his fist into Android 18's face. The powerful blow sent her flying backward into another rock wall.

"That gave me a fright. His strength is far beyond the information Doctor Gero gave us." Seeing Android 18 knocked away, Android 17 showed no concern whatsoever. Instead, he spoke with keen interest. Behind him, Android 16 had no interest in the fight at all. He remained quietly where he stood, absorbed in the tranquil act of observing nature.

"This Vegeta is pretty strong." The interest in Android 17's eyes deepened, but he still showed no intention of joining the battle, merely watching from afar.

Android 18 steadied herself, raised a hand to smooth down her disheveled hair, and curled her lips into a mysterious smile. Then she turned and shot off into the distance. Vegeta snorted coldly, a flash of anger crossing his eyes as he immediately took off after her. Their figures vanished over the horizon in an instant.

Android 17 watched their retreating backs, the corners of his mouth rising slightly as he murmured, "Looks like Android 18 is about to start showing off again."

The chase sped onward, quickly passing over a familiar pasture—the very place where Raditz had landed on Earth years ago. The rancher was leisurely tending his flock when two figures streaked past like lightning. The powerful gusts they stirred up sent the sheep fleeing in panic in every direction.

Android 18 glanced back at Vegeta, who was relentlessly pursuing her, and deliberately kept her speed within a delicate range. She neither allowed Vegeta to catch her easily nor shook him off completely. She was clearly toying with him. When Vegeta saw that he could not catch up, rage instantly surged within him. He immediately unleashed his signature Prince's Tactics—countless golden ki blasts poured down like a torrential rain, densely firing toward Android 18. Light and nimble as a swallow, Android 18 darted left and right, every blast brushing past the edge of her clothes before slamming into the ground below. Explosions kicked up clouds of dust, leaving the entire pasture in ruins.

After the two figures flew away, the dust slowly settled. The rancher stood before a massive trench, staring helplessly and heartbroken at his flock, which had been forcibly split into two groups by the ki blasts and were fleeing in all directions. For a moment, he did not know whether to laugh or cry.

The chase continued, and the pair soon reached a broad highway. At that moment, a large transport truck was leisurely traveling down the road, completely unaware of the danger approaching.

Thud— Thud—

Two dull impacts sounded in succession from the roof of the truck. Vegeta and Android 18 landed steadily atop it, facing one another as the battle intent around them rose once more.

"What's wrong? Don't feel like running anymore?" Vegeta crossed his arms, his face full of pride and contempt. He was certain Android 18 was at the end of her rope.

The driver of a small car behind them looked up at the two figures on the truck roof, his face full of confusion. "What are they doing?"

He learned the answer soon enough. The two on the roof instantly clashed again, every punch landing with force and every move fierce. The next second, Vegeta punched Android 18 away, sending her hurtling straight toward the small car's windshield. Terrified, the driver instinctively yanked the steering wheel. The vehicle instantly spun out of control, slammed violently into the roadside guardrail, and exploded with flames soaring into the sky.

Android 18 landed steadily on the ground, with Vegeta close behind. He smashed a fist into the ground, barely missing her. To avoid the two of them, the vehicles behind swerved and slammed on their brakes. Collisions erupted one after another, explosions ringing out in succession as several more innocent lives vanished in the blazing flames.

Android 18 flashed onto the opposite lane. The moment Vegeta caught up, she lightly leaped onto the roof of a yellow van. Vegeta's attack missed again, and the fury in his heart grew ever more intense. A powerful aura suddenly erupted around him—its aftershock alone caused a car behind them, unable to dodge in time, to explode on the spot and become wreckage.

Vegeta flew above the van and drove a brutal fist downward, but Android 18 had already taken off in advance. His fist punched straight through the roof and pierced the entire cabin. Vegeta pulled his fist free, crouched slightly to gather strength, then flashed away in pursuit of Android 18 once again. To Vegeta, it was merely an insignificant recoil from exerting himself, yet it violently shoved the van into the roadside guardrail. Another deafening boom rang out as the van exploded instantly, claiming yet another innocent life.

This brutal highway chase quietly came to an end with the deaths of several ordinary people.

Elsewhere, Android 17 and Android 16 were still waiting where they had been. Android 17 suddenly lifted his head toward the horizon, a knowing smile appearing on his lips. "They've already circled back."

The moment he spoke, Android 18 and Vegeta descended one after the other, landing firmly on the quiet little road that had originally seen few people. Their auras remained sharp, and neither's battle intent had diminished in the slightest.

"Tch. My opponent's a puppet doll. When I throw a punch, I can't even tell whether she's been hurt." Vegeta looked at the completely unscathed Android 18 across from him and could not help grumbling, his tone full of impatience and disdain.

Android 18 merely snorted, lifting a hand to tuck her golden hair behind her ear. With her hands on her hips, she remained perfectly composed, a hint of mockery in her eyes.

"If that's the case, I'll tear you apart and make sure you never smile again." Vegeta extended his fingers together before him. The ki around him began rapidly gathering, and his expression grew colder still.

Just then, a heavy truck slowly drove onto the otherwise deserted little road. Seeing the two blocking the middle of the road, the driver immediately stopped and poked his head out, shouting impatiently, "Hey! What are you two doing standing in the middle of the road? Move it, or I'll run you right over! Did you hear me?"

"You'd better laugh all you want while you're still alive." Vegeta maintained his previous pose, his voice chillingly cold. It was impossible to tell whether he was speaking to Android 18 or the driver who had no idea of the danger he faced.

"You're welcome to try." Android 18's lips curled into an amused smile, her voice full of provocation.

Vegeta did not hesitate in the slightest. A golden ki blast instantly shot from his palm—Android 18 flashed aside and easily avoided it. But the heavy truck and its driver behind her were not so fortunate. The instant the blast struck the truck, a violent explosion erupted. Along with the entire stretch of road, it was reduced to charred ash by that single attack.

Android 18 landed behind Vegeta, watching his reckless rampage. At this moment, Vegeta looked more like a villain than the androids did.

"It seems your movements are more agile than I expected." Vegeta slowly turned, facing Android 18 from the side. His tone held a trace of reluctant acknowledgment, though it remained as arrogant as ever.

"You haven't used your true strength at all since the beginning." Android 18 unusually took the initiative to answer him. Her tone was calm, but filled with absolute certainty.

"If I really used my full strength, the entire Earth would be destroyed." Vegeta sneered, his arrogance utterly undisguised.

"Actually, I haven't used all my strength either. Did you know that?"

Vegeta curled his lip, his eyes full of scorn and doubt. Clearly, he did not find Android 18's words credible in the slightest, dismissing them as mere bluster.

"Oh? Then I suggest you don't hold back—using your full strength against me would be the smarter choice. Otherwise, you'll regret it." Vegeta's voice was cold, carrying a note of warning as his aura intensified further.

"All right. Then I'll do as you say."

On the road, Android 17 lowered his arms from where they had been crossed over his chest. Android 16 finally shifted his gaze from the birds in the distance and looked toward the battlefield.

In that instant, Android 18's aura changed.