Ashes

The air after the mushroom cloud dispersed carried a scorched smell, mixed with the scent of earth and metal.

Gohan stood at the edge of the crater, his golden aura already extinguished. His body was trembling, not from fear, but from pure exhaustion. The burst that had pushed him to 420 million had nearly drained every last bit of his strength.

"...The data is still there."

He quietly repeated Cell's final words.

Gohan's mind raced wildly. In the original story, Cell really had data remnants, but that had been based on Dr. Gero having backups. But this time... Dr. Gero is dead, Gohan told himself. But that expression he had before he died didn't look like the face of someone who had completely failed.

"Gohan."

Piccolo's voice interrupted him. Gohan turned and saw Piccolo standing a short distance away.

"Goku is dealing with the aftermath in the city. He'll be here soon." Piccolo paused. "And... Android 17 is awake."

"Is he okay?"

"Krillin saved him with the last Senzu Bean." Piccolo's gaze fell upon the ruins. "He's very weak."

Gohan nodded and looked into the distance. Krillin was crouching on the ground beside Android 17, whose face was pale. The once-arrogant android now looked surprisingly... ordinary.

"Android 18 is over there." Gohan tipped his chin in a certain direction.

Piccolo followed his gaze and saw Android 18. She stood silently at the edge of the crater, her expression colder than ever.

"Is she... okay?" Piccolo hesitated.

"I don't know," Gohan answered honestly. "She watched Android 16..."

He did not finish.

Piccolo fell silent for several seconds.

"Android 16's sacrifice changed something," he said. "At least from our perspective, he is no longer just a tool."

Gohan said nothing.

He remembered Android 16's final smile.

Being able to die for you was my choice.

What a cringeworthy line. Yet for some reason, Gohan's eyes stung.

"...Idiot," he murmured.

Gohan cursed inwardly. He could not remember the last time he had been moved like this. Even movies in his previous life had never pulled him in this deeply. How had he come to the Dragon Balls world and gotten emotionally wrecked by a fictional AI?

"Forget it. The dead can't come back to life."

Just as he was about to make a few sarcastic remarks, a familiar presence suddenly descended from the sky.

A golden light tore across the heavens and landed before Gohan.

It was Goku.

He was covered in dust, with several tears in his battle suit, but his eyes shone frighteningly bright.

"Dad!" Gohan called out instinctively.

"Gohan!" Goku rushed over in a few quick strides. "Piccolo told me everything. Your power just now hit 420 million?!"

Gohan: "..."

He knew his dad would definitely focus on that.

"Well..." Gohan tried to explain. "I just—"

"Did you already break through to Super Saiyan 2?!" Goku's eyes grew brighter and brighter. "I knew it! My son had to be the strongest—"

"No." Gohan cut him off without mercy. "I'm still far from Super Saiyan 2. That was only a limit burst."

"A limit burst?" Goku tilted his head. "What does that mean?"

"Exactly what it sounds like." Gohan gave a bitter smile. "I forced myself to the limit. But I can't maintain that state."

Goku fell silent for several seconds, then showed a meaningful smile.

"I see. Your limit has not arrived yet. True Super Saiyan 2 requires more than strength."

"It needs some kind of trigger. Anger, grief, or something even deeper."

"You haven't found that trigger yet."

Gohan froze.

His dad was right. His anger... was not pure enough.

"Alright, we can talk about the future later." Goku waved a hand. "Gohan, you did really well today. Piccolo said you've grown up."

"You grew up a long time ago, though!"

Gohan: "..."

"Haha, just kidding!" Goku patted his shoulder. "Come on, let's go check on Android 17 and the others."

"Goku." Piccolo suddenly spoke up, interrupting him.

"Yeah?"

"There are some things you should tell Gohan alone." Piccolo's gaze was meaningful. "About the future."

Goku's smile faded.

"Gohan, even though Cell is dead, the danger isn't over."

Gohan's heart tightened.

"Dad, did you sense something?"

"It's not a matter of sensing anything. It's common sense." Goku pointed toward the ruins. "Cell said, 'The data is still there,' before he died. As long as someone wants to, Cell could be created again."

Gohan fell silent.

"No matter what happens, all we can do is become stronger."

"Become stronger?"

An arrogant voice came from nearby.

Vegeta had approached at some point. He was covered in wounds, but his gaze was still sharp.

"Kakarot, are you suggesting that we continue training?" A sneer tugged at his lips. "Then I would like to ask this brat how he obtained that power of 420 million."

"It was... a limit burst."

"Stop trying to fool me." Vegeta stepped closer. "Prince."

He suddenly lowered his head.

"...I admit it. Your son surpassed me today."

"Vegeta?!" Goku's eyes widened.

"Shut up, Kakarot." Vegeta raised his head, staring directly at Gohan. "Brat, I'll remember you. Not as a threat, but as a goal. One day, I will personally surpass that number."

With that, he turned and left.

Gohan watched his back, the corner of his mouth twitching.

"...Did Uncle Vegeta just get fired up?"

"Probably. He's always like that. When he loses, he works even harder." Goku scratched his head. "What's so good about that?!"

Gohan: "..."

What was so good about that?! One Vegeta was already more than enough to deal with, and now there was an even more motivated version of him—Gohan suddenly felt that his future training life was pitch-black.

"Gohan."

A cool voice came from behind him.

Gohan turned and saw Android 18. Her expression was still as cold as ever, but there seemed to be something more in her eyes.

"I will remember Android 16's sacrifice," she said. "As a memorial to a companion."

Gohan nodded. "Thank you, Android 18."

"No need to thank me. I'm merely stating a fact." Android 18 paused. "As for what comes next... Android 17 and I will handle it ourselves."

Gohan was taken aback.

"You're leaving?"

"We were never companions to begin with. We fought side by side this time because we had a common enemy. Now that the enemy is gone, there is no connection between us."

Gohan opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but he did not know what to say.

In the original story, Android 17 and Android 18 would live in seclusion in the future, and Android 18 would eventually marry Krillin. But that was after all the battles had ended. Now...

"Alright." In the end, he only nodded. "If you need help, you can come to us anytime."

Android 18 gave him a look.

"...You'll regret saying that."

"What do you mean?"

Android 18 did not answer. She turned and walked toward Android 17.

"Hey! Wait for me, Android 18!" Krillin shouted from afar. "You still haven't told me how you did those moves just now—"

"Shut up, Krillin."

"So fierce..."

Gohan watched their retreating figures, and the corners of his mouth lifted unconsciously.

"Gohan?" Goku leaned over.

"It's nothing." Gohan shook his head. "Dad, I'm tired."

"Then let's go home. Everyone worked hard today."

Gohan nodded, giving the ruins one last glance. The sunlight had completely pierced through the clouds.

The data is still there... Gohan silently committed those words to memory. Cell might return. What had Dr. Gero's smile before his death been hinting at?

"Gohan?" Goku's voice interrupted his thoughts.

"I was thinking... what will the future be like?"

"The future?" Goku tilted his head.

"We won, but I don't think this is the end. I think it's the beginning."

Goku looked at him, his gaze deep.

"You think too much," he said. "No matter what happens, you're not alone."

Gohan paused, then smiled.

"...Dad, since when did you get so good at saying things like that?"

"Haha, I've always been good at it!"

Gohan shook his head. Trying to reason with this airhead was only asking for trouble.

"Let's go. We're heading home."

The two turned into streaks of light and shot toward the distant horizon.

Behind them, the thick smoke over the ruins had completely dispersed.

A new sun was rising.

And deep within those ruins, in a corner, a tiny fragment of scorched metal glimmered faintly beneath the sunlight. The light vanished in an instant, like something long dormant gently turning over in its sleep.

A new battle would always come someday.