DB Multiverse

Chapter 112

Translated by npberryhill

Vegeta stared at his three comrades no longer than a second, then with a swipe of his forefingers sent two blasts that splattered the heads of Nappa and Raditz. He then stretched his hand towards the throat of Kakarotto, grasping tightly and driving him into the ground.

“YOOOUUUU! You the psycho, the bore! You the walking disaster! Oh how I’ve dreamed of smashing your stupid face into a bloody pulp! You, whose every word is loathsome to my ears, you whose arrogance dares view yourself as strong simply because you also can become a Super Saiyan! Even now I wonder why I endure that asshole’s presence, but I’m going to make you pay for every second I’ve suffered!”

With each word he spoke, he offered a crushing blow to the ghost’s face, which was now nothing but a bloody mess — yet he continued to pound it in rage. Spectators were terrorized by the site, many shielding their eyes, others vomiting.

Kakarotto of Universe 13 was frozen, his legs quivering as he watched his leader devolve into a madman, pummeling his look-alike into a shit stain on the ring. This was his fate, he realized, unless he were to somehow become stronger than Vegeta.

In the area of Universe 18, Goku was disturbed as well. “Hmm, that’s sad. Looks like this Vegeta never learned to find peace and still hates his comrade! Not like you, buddy. You’ve changed a lot since then, right Vegeta?”

The latter gave no reply as a drop of nervous sweat trickled down his head — never before had he wanted to switch places with someone so badly as he did now. ‘Dammit that looks like so much fun!!!’ He’d spent his share of nights dreaming about massacring Goku as well, busting the other Saiyan’s teeth out with uppercuts. In spite of the mutual respect and even friendship they’d built over the years, he wasn’t immune to the occasional latent impulse. If they were to meet in the tournament, he’d certainly have absolutely no qualms with giving in to his more ruthless side — one which had waited so long to be satisfied.

Once he had finished disfiguring Kakarotto’s head, which now looked like it had exploded from the inside, Vegeta stood up, delighted. His tongue reached over to his cheek, partaking of the fake blood with a murderous grin.

“I haven’t had this much fun in years!” he boasted to a clearly shaken Raichi. “I really must offer my thanks, you have no idea how long I’ve wanted to do that. Now, should we continue?”

The Saiyan then crossed his arms out in front of his chest, the air around him now thick and hot with ki. The remaining Saiyan warriors rushed him from every direction, but he merely smiled, suddenly throwing out his arms in massive energy explosion.

“Farewell to the worthless!”

The Saiyans were instantly eradicated, vanquished into puffs of smoke by the destructive ki wave Vegeta had unleashed. Satisfied, he sighed.

“Takes care of them, not a ghost in sight!” he chuckled.

“Not quite,” Raichi replied.

As the smoke cleared, a single shadow was revealed, enveloped in a golden aura of his own. The entire stadium felt a shiver through their spines as they recognized him instantly: Broly. Vegeta’s blast hadn’t been enough to defeat the mutant freak, which was infuriating.

“The Legendary Saiyan...” he murmured. “Great.”

Goku clenched his teeth. “Uh oh, looks like he can transform after all. This is starting to feel an awful lot like deja vu, guys.”

“You don’t think Vegeta would intentionally allow him to, do you?” Gohan added, taking off his glasses.

“It wouldn’t be the first time,” Piccolo spat. “But even so, I find it hard to believe Dr. Raichi could control someone with that level of power! For a machine to even attempt to contain that much insanity and raw ki is unheard of!”

Raichi smiled. “When someone dies a violent death,” he explianed, “my Hatchiyak machine absorbs their essence. The reproduced ghosts are completely identical, both in power and abilities! So yes, this Broly is also invincible, possessing an exponentially increasing fighting power just as the monster we saw yesterday! True, this one comes from my own universe, so it has not yet reached its full potential, but it can become just as deadly, and more quickly than you think. Better yet, he is totally under my command!”

“Sweet!” Vegetto exclaimed. “Just thinking about that fight gets me so excited I could shake this whole asteroid!”

“Let Gotenks handle it this time!” Trunks and Goten asked, equally excited.

“Shut up, losers,” Bra replied.

During Raichi’s exposition, the Broly ghost had begun to power up his energy, beginning his transformation. His muscles were expanding already, his ki rising. But Vegeta only grinned.

“Invincible, you say?” he said, cracking his fingers. “The legendary transformation makes him seemingly impenetrable, true...but what I see here is a mere Super Saiyan. A very strong warrior, to be sure, but a level one nonetheless...!”

Vegeta then summoned forth an energy that caused the very ground to tremble. He then teleported in front of Broly, swinging a driving left blow that plowed straight through the Legendary Saiyan’s chest. The transformation subsided and the ghost disappeared, leaving only Vegeta and a surprisingly calm and composed Raichi.

“Well done, Vegeta. You’ve fallen prey to my schemes like the fool I knew you were! These pawns you destroyed without the slightest hesitation...they prove you’re more a heartless shell than I am. But even moreso, they’ve exhausted your stamina, and all the while I’ve held my strongest fighters in reserve! You see, hatred is universal. It’s an energy of its own, one I managed to study and control, constructing a machine that channels it. When a person dies, their hatred lingers on, becoming a force I gladly use!” Raichi’s hands raised to his side, just as before when he summoned new ghosts. “In my own universe, I played witness to your countless massacres, your planetary genocides, and collected a perpetual cycle of near endless victims — even your own people! But Hatckiyack is still collecting, even to this day!”

Around the Tsuful, the new shades were revealed, the audience in shock as they recognized each one as a former contestant in the tournament.

“Look at all these doomed souls, seeking Vengeance!”

The Heliotes clenched their teeth at the sight of Tidar, wearing his basic armor, and now a slave soldier of Raichi. Likewise, Videl of Universe 16 wept at the sight of their daughter, her face collapsing into her hands in a wave of emotion. Gohan quickly comforted her in his arms, but clearly just as shaken as his wife. Perhaps most notable of all, Bra herself was stunned silent, fists shaking and eyes fighting back tears. Vegetto kept a close watch on his daughter, seeing her react to the small shade representative of Pan up in the ring. Worse, she was seated casually on the shoulder of her own murderer Bojack, now allies. The dead stood in perfect harmony with one another, now mere slaves in Raichi’s twisted army, as they faced down against Vegeta.

Those from Universe 16 weren’t the only ones phased. Gohan, Videl, and Pan of the 18th were of course shaken, but veins had also appeared on the forehead and fists of Vegeta. He had, after all, been the one to get Pan fired up just before her fight with Kakarotto. Perhaps he had become more fond of the scrappy little Saiyan than he cared to admit. Gohan also recalled how much confidence Bulma’s husband had placed in him when, years ago, he’d been testing his abilities and launched an attack at the door to the Room of Spirit and Time. Pan had been a mere child on the way back then, but the moment stood out in his memory nonetheless.

The girls of Universe 6, upon seeing their friend Syd again, screamed in terror. Sure they wanted to see her again, but at their side, not up in the ring standing with the very monster that had killed her! Jet was again angry at herself for having ordered Syd to fight in the first place...

Universe 8 responded with almost apathy at seeing Sauza and Butta again. The Frost Demons gave no response whatsoever, while the Ginyu and Coola Commandos were at least somewhat glad to see their comrades again, even if they were now slaves to an Old man’s army now.

As for Cell, he was somewhat surprised to only see one Cell Junior in the ring. Curious, as he alone, as well as those who had also guessed, knew that in fact two had died since the tournament began. Perhaps what happened privately in the apartments really was hidden after all...

There was also a Varga in the group, the one that had been killed by Broly just as he’d freed himself from the ice. He had hardly appeared when he was instantly crushed by the hundred times gravity, vanishing as he uttered a single “Quaaack!!”. Vegeta had noted the creature’s insignificant demise, however, realizing the gravity applied to the ghosts as well as himself, an advantage he might be able to make use of.

Syd, who stood with the help of Sauza because of the gravity, pointed a finger towards her assassin, addressing her comrades. “Hehe, I’ll turn him into a girl again. His power will be cut in half and you’ll be able to crush him easily. Prepare to...”

DADADADADA!!!!

A barrage of energy blasts cut her off, destroying her, Butta, and Sauza instantly. Vegeta had flashed his Super Saiyan 2 aura and flicked them into oblivion with a single hand gesture. Of the eight original ghosts, only five were now remaining. Those who had survived the initial blast had done so only by deploying all their defensive capabilities. Pan had transformed into a Super Saiyan and Bojack had transformed as well.

Vegeta, finally showing the slightest beginnings of fatigue, began to taunt. “Well? What are you all waiting for? Don’t tell me you’re paralyzed at the mere sight of me” he laughed. “So, I guess it’s true after all, ghosts really can experience fear! Bahaha!”

“God’s Blade!” Tidar cried, weaving his arm through the air in numerous vertical, horizontal, and diagonal patterns, trying to cover every possible angle in front of him. The ring was like paper before him, giving way under the hot knife on his hand. But Vegeta was well aware of the serious threat this attack posed, even for someone at his level. He dodged through the air, vanishing and reappearing, arching and contorting his body to avoid the slicing waves. It was almost like a training exercise — although they would’ve been fatal, the attacks were slow enough that he could still easily react and avoid them. If nothing else, it was a good time to refine his reflexes.

Tidar finally stopped swinging, but he was instantly under attack, rushed head on by his golden-haired opponent — who hurled a few energy balls in his direction for good measure. But the Saiyan was cut off by Pan, who landed a surprise blow on him from behind. Vegeta turned towards her, delivering his retribution to the little brat, kicking her in the abdomen and then launching her dozens of meters into the air with another strong blow — earning him a dark glance from both of the Gohans. Next, Bojack and Zangya revealed themselves on either side of him, thrusting their arms forwards. But once again, Vegeta was privy to their scheme.

“Energy Bonds!” the two pirates cried.

Tiny threads emerged from the palms of their hands towards the Saiyan, who merely grinned. He nonchalantly raised his arms towards each of them, firing two blasts at either side. The two pirates were run through by the powerful beams, falling to the ground. Vegeta now only had three remaining opponents, and wasn’t sure which to eliminate first. Before he’d made his next move, Pan once again struck him from behind, landing a fierce blow to his skull that barely managed to stagger him. The girl then swung her small body around in front and began chaining attacks into his torso. He moved to swipe her away, but the young Saiyan took a step back and raised her hands to her head.

"Taiyôken!"

A blinding flash suddenly emerged around her body, stunning the eyes of all present — well, almost all. Both Vegetas, as well as the two Piccolos and Gast all closed their eyes instinctively. In response, Vegeta grabbed the small girl by the throat.

“You little fool!” he said, grinning. “We’ve already seen this trick! You’ll have to do better than this to defeat me!”

“That’s what you think, idiot!” she replied, sporting her own sadistic grin — one that the original Pan would’ve never worn.

There was a sudden pain in his stomach, as Vegeta barely had time to process her words. In his arm, the weight of his victim suddenly lightened, and he also felt himself falling backwards. Opening his eyes, he was stunned to see a huge gash along the side of his body, spilling his noble blood on his armor and across the ground. The little girl, still grinning, had been cut in half completely. Within seconds she was gone, but he was still trying to regain his countenance. He spat blood and collapsed, one knee on the ground as his eyesight blurred. Each of the three Saiyans from Universe 13 gasped at the sight of their gravely wounded leader, who now knelt before Raichi, the latter appearing quite pleased. In front of him was also Tidar, clearly displaying his weapon still, the blade capable of cutting anything with impeccable precision.

“Do you see now, my ghosts cooperate even in death...they have no reason to fear it. Once they’ve recharged, I can summon them again and again. Teamwork is their strength, but I’m sure that means nothing to you, you whose pride is everything!” Raichi knew he had to finish this quickly, under pain of facing Vegeta with so many ghosts now weakened or defeated. Still, he maintained his confidence. “And now, at long last, it is time for you to add your unquenchable hatred to these many lost souls.”

Unable to bear the taunts of the wretched Tsuful, Vegeta somehow stood up.

“It’s...not possible,” Tidar gasped in amazement. “How could you have survived my sword strike?”

“The body of that brat cushioned the attack, you imbecile,” Vegeta said, huffing with difficulty. “Did you really think you could cut through two Super Saiyans so easily?”

Tidar pulled his hand back again, “God’s Bla...”

“Vegeta’s Blade!” a voice cut him off, as Tidar was sliced in half by a Kienzan. The Saiyan was somehow still holding himself straight, grasping with one arm at his midsection.

Nappa and Raditz chuckled at their leader’s charisma, shouting their encouragement from below. But their euphoria was short-lived, as an enormous aura suddenly exploded a few meters to the right of Vegeta. Crackles of blue lightning surrounded the small bio-android clone, accompanied by a golden aura.

“This Cell Junior is stronger than the average Super Saiyan 2,” Vegetto said, over in Universe 16’s area. “With the wound’s he’s suffered, I’d say this match is pretty much over.”

“No,” the persistent Saiyan murmured under his breath, spitting blood again. “Dammit.”

“How did he manage to forget that of all the fighters he’s faced, Cell Junior was the most dangerous?” Goku added.

“Their power levels are pretty evenly matched,” added the Namek beside him, “that is, were Vegeta still in fighting shape. But even so, I’m not sure he would win. Dr. Raichi probably calculated that from the beginning, throwing everything he had at Vegeta in hopes of weakening him just enough...”

“Well, it looks like it paid off,” Gohan agreed.

Vegeta of the 18th glanced again at Cell, who wore a neutral expression. Considering the strength difference between the original Cell Juniors he had created and this one, whose power was a match for Super Saiyan 2, how much stronger was the real Cell now? With his Saiyan genetics, who knows. Vegeta shuddered with excitement at the thought of facing such an opponent.