The dusk over Mount Paozu was soaked through with the color of blood.
By the time Gohan landed in Bulma's backyard, four people were already waiting. Goku, Vegeta, Piccolo, and Bulma, who was holding Trunks—she had insisted on staying here, even though her combat power was less than one.
"You're back." His dad stood up, his gaze sweeping over the dust and scorch marks still clinging to Gohan. "What did you find?"
Gohan wasted no words and took the chip straight out of his clothes.
"The ultimate life form's fatal weakness."
He walked to the table and inserted the chip into the reader Bulma had temporarily set up. A holographic projection lit up, blue light flickering across the five of their faces. Bulma instinctively held the child tighter and stepped aside, but her eyes never left the screen for a second.
"The regeneration core isn't concentrated in one place." Gohan pointed at the structural diagram in the projection. "It's scattered across multiple nodes in the body, forming a redundant network. Decapitation tactics are useless."
Piccolo frowned. "So even if we blow off its head, it won't matter?"
"Blowing off its head will only make it grow a new one." Gohan's voice was very even. "But the data from all the nodes ultimately converges in the main core in the chest. If we can destroy all the nodes and the main core at the same time, the data overload will make it collapse."
The room fell into a brief silence.
Vegeta spoke first, his voice as cold as ice chips. "How many nodes?"
"The design documents suggest at least four to five."
"Five people attack five points at the same time and destroy them simultaneously?"
"Right."
Vegeta gave a cold laugh and folded his arms. "So as long as one person