PART THIRTY TWO: RAGING DOKKAN

Chapter 158

Translated by npberryhill, edited by Guilarai

Just as Universe 16 Gohan’s last spark of life rattled out of his body, a shiver ran down the spines of a few people all the way on the other side of the universe.

“I’ve got a bad feeling...” Vegetto muttered with a frown.

“We’ve gotta hurry,” Son Goku added, a worried sweat beading up on his head. “My gut says something horrible is happening.”

“Daddy, Mommy...” Pan of Universe 16 shuddered.

Her counterpart from Universe 18 knew exactly how she felt. In her own heart echoed the same fear, anguish, and doubt. She knew her father was the strongest man in the world. But in the 16th universe, there were two others even stronger — Vegetto, who was of course with them, and Son Bra. She’d gone to sleep back in her bedroom apartment, cutting her off from being able to sense what might be happening in the arena. Son Gohan might be left to face an army of monsters, and though he was far stronger even he couldn’t fight everyone at once.

Especially Cell, who seemed to be fixated on Gohan, always glancing at him out of the corner of his eye...

The group was more concentrated than ever, everyone focusing on finding the arena, trying to ignore the sense of panic in their stomachs. Even Vegeta from Universe 13 didn’t like this one bit. His instincts said that whatever he would find upon returning, he wasn’t going to like it.

Buu was the only peaceful one, snickering inwardly. There was definitely some real carnage being inflicted, and oh how he enjoyed it immensely. For him there were never any consequences, the reality was he viewed this whole thing like a pleasant intermission, a little bit chaotic and destructive. But he could set everything back to the way it was with a snap of his fingers, literally. He was aware, however, that each universe would remember everything, but he didn’t really care. Most of all he was excited to see what Vegetto’s reaction would be when he would see his heiress butchering the rest of his family.

Meanwhile, he had another toy to play with he hadn’t forgotten about...

Somewhere lost in space, the wizard Babidi was beginning to suffocate within the interstellar void. Six minutes had passed since Bra had teleported him here, and he had wasted a good deal of the oxygen in the bubble with his initial panicked cries and heavy breathing.

Fueled by his frustrations, he whispered to himself under his breath.

“Idiot little girl...! How could she have been so stupid thinking this much air would last for ten minutes? What’s taking her so long to kill them? Dirty pretentious little... because of her I’m going to suffocate and die out here...”

“That wouldn’t be very enjoyable,” a voice above him suddenly said. “I’ve got a much better death in store for you, don’t worry.”

Terrified, the wizard noticed Buu from Universe 4 was there. He floated upside down, a few centimeters above his head.

“Y... You!” Babidi tried to shout, his eyes bulging. “He... Help me!”

“Hmmm, no... I don’t think so.”

“You ungrateful...! I know the spell to seal you up, so you’d better —”

SNAP

As Buu snapped his fingers, Babidi’s voice suddenly vanished into silence. His lips still moved, and angrily so, but no matter how hard he tried he was muted from making even a peep.

With a silly smile, Buu responded. “You were saying? Sorry, I couldn’t hear you, could you repeat that?” Buu laughed. “What was that, I still can’t make it out? Tsk, it’s as if my dear old master has become an idiot.”

Babidi finally relented, reduced to utter helplessness.

“Anyway, you know nobody can hear you scream in space,” Buu added, patting the head of the festering wizard.

The magician seethed with wrath, resuming his vitriolic curses — or at least his attempts to do so. He shouted and shouted to no avail. His mouth would open wide and shut again, over and over like two hands applauding.

‘You stupid pink gumball!’ he yelled inwardly.

He remembered this wasn’t his Majin Buu. This version was far more evolved, more intelligent, and more dangerous. Perhaps the insult he used at every turn for his slave wasn’t the best approach.

“You sadistic cruel creation!” he tried to rephrase. “How dare you disrespect me? I was the one who freed you, you only exist thanks to my father!”

Buu raised an eyelid, curious.

“Ahaha. I assure you I’m doing my best to read your lips, but even with my years of practice I can’t decipher anything coming out of your hideous pie hole! And your poor pronunciations just make it even tougher! Wait, let me just guess instead... Oh, you’re hungry! I know, would you like an apple?”

A torrent of further insults spewed from Babidi’s mouth, but again there wasn’t even the slightest sonic vibration.

“Oh, my apologies,” Buu chuckled. “Of course, I misunderstood you the first time but now it makes sense. TWO apples then?”

Just like that, he materialized two pieces of red fruit in the palm of his hand and allowed them to float weightlessly around Babidi. The latter was of course stunned by the absurdity of it all, and continued allowing Buu to piss him off.

Suddenly, the wizard’s attention was again drawn to his lack of air. His angry outbursts had cost him dearly in terms of the little remaining oxygen. Where was that damn Son Bra?

Babidi tried his best to calm down and reflect on the situation.

‘So, it’s obvious he put a spell on me, that’s why I can’t talk,’ he thought to himself. ‘And if it’s magic, I should be able to counter it...’

Buu began to applaud, having read his mind. “Ah, finally, a glimmer of intelligent thought! I almost can’t believe it,” he exclaimed.

Startled, Babidi’s eyes shot wide.

“O right,” Buu admitted. “I could read your mind this whole time. You’re an open book to me, and a terribly written one at that! At this point your misery is no one’s fault but your own — you make terrible decisions and constantly misplace your pawns. Really, I’d have hoped for a little more strategy from someone with your ambition, but then you never learned to appreciate subtlety in a battle as I do.” Buu did so love a captive audience, continuing to lecture. “By the way, I heard all your whiny insults but I just love seeing you squirm and fidget. Hohoho, you are an angry one aren't you?”

Stunned, Babidi couldn’t get in a word this time, even mentally.

Time passed inexorably, and his death was fast approaching.

‘I... I’m going to suffocate because of that thoughtless little...’

“You aren’t going to die of asphyxia,” Buu shook his head. The djinn then leaned his face in close to Babidi, who was seized by true terror at the spark of madness in Buu’s eyes. He repeated the words again, emphasizing them differently this time.

“You aren’t going to die... of asphyxia.”

Back in the arena, Son Bra stared haughtily at those remaining. The body of Gohan, severed in two, lay at her feet.

“So, who wants to risk it?” she asked, allowing her energy blade to dissipate.

“She’s completely unempathetic,” the remaining Gohan uttered, looking desperate.

“We’re doomed...” Cell thought, trembling as he was still trapped by Bra’s solid Ki.

“Like hell!” Piccolo railed. “All in all, Gohan, you're still in fighting shape, teleport to her! Majin Buu, help Gohan rush her at top speed — your mini-Cell can go treat his father with the last Senzu bean. Let’s go!”

But just as the remaining forces initiated their final maneuver, Piccolo’s body exploded from within, splattering into so many pieces. A Senzu bean fell from the Namekian’s dislocated hand. Majin Buu looked on with an expression of pure horror, while Gohan was hit with yet another whirlwind of anger and despair.

“No, it can’t be true...” he stammered.

“Yeah,” Bra replied sadistically, lowering the arm she had stretched out towards Piccolo. “Such a huge gap in our levels, it’s that easy...”

“No no no, no, no no! I wanna live! I’m afraid!” Majin Buu was starting to panic, shaking his head. “I don’t want her to do the same to me!”

“What a waste, I was a fool to expect more from these pathetic allies...” Cell thought, half conscious.

“The plan is still on!” Gohan shouted.

His mini-Cell teleported him immediately, followed by Majin Buu who had left his own junior behind. The latter recovered the fallen Senzu Bean from the ground and teleported away.

Son Gohan reappeared right behind Bra, while Majin Buu charged straight at her. The djinn opened his mouth wide, firing a powerful burst of energy towards the Saiyan, while Gohan tried to knock her off balance with a kick to her legs.

But Son Bra had become exasperated by their laughably unending efforts in futility. She saw only too well what their ultimate hope was. Their vain attempts to stall her were too predictable. Yes, Babidi’s time would soon be up, she would have to finish them off and save him before he died.

She escaped Gohan and Majin Buu’s attacks by teleporting away. As their blows swang through emptiness, a nearby Phipsil remained silent, barely observing the body of the other Son Gohan. A robotic voice sounded from her armor.

“Energy remaining: 1%”

She sighed and made a drastic decision. Even if it meant her own death, she would drag this cursed Saiyan to the grave.

As all of this occurred, the mini-Cell appeared above his father. Perfect Cell was in a terrible state, covered in Bra’s Ki jelly that brought intense pain — not to mention it prevented him from regaining any strength to regenerate. He was in constant torture, but his core prevented him from dying.

“Father!”

Miraculously, he managed to turn around to see his tiny offspring. The micro-Cell approached his mouth holding out a Senzu bean.

“Quick, you have to eat this!”

“I’ve got something much better for you to swallow!” Son Bra exclaimed from behind him.

Before he could even respond, both Cell and his offspring were swallowed up by a powerful energy wave fired by the Saiyan — Gohan and Majin Buu just barely evaded it. But Bra knew that without Cell they no longer had any hope of standing against her. Their only chance had been if he’d gotten the Senzu bean and she had just prevented that.

“No!” Gohan exclaimed, rushing at her.

“Father isn’t dead!” his micro-Cell whispered to him. “I know him, his core could survive that for sure! Hold out until he gets back!”

“Understood!”

Gohan reached his fist out towards Bra, who quietly waited for him, ready to counterattack and finish him off. Suddenly, Gohan rolled over and sprung upwards off the ground, positioning himself above Bra and preparing to fire a Kamehameha straight down. But the Saiyan saw it coming.

“Damn, if the other one couldn’t kill me, and he gave it all his might, what do you expect you can do?” Bra said.

She fired a Kienzan at Gohan who disappeared to evade, reappearing in front of her while she was still focused above.

“Now!” said the micro-Cell, who had just teleported Gohan.

“HAAAAA!” yelled the Saiyan, stretching out his arms and firing.

The wave of blue surged forward, engulfing Son Bra and launching her out into space. Gohan groaned with exhaustion, doubting even a direct hit could have actually hurt his enemy.

Suddenly, he heard Majin Buu’s high-pitched voice.

“Hey, I’ve found our buddy Cell! I’m going to heal him, it’ll be faster!”

“What an idiot!” Gohan swore, turning towards Buu. But it was already too late.

Majin Buu, all too enthusiastic about having an important role to play, had not considered that his announcement might warn Bra. The latter had taken some light damage from Gohan’s blast, but was already back in the arena searching for Cell in order to finish him off.

She found them both, appearing behind Majin Buu and kicking him off into the distance. She then reached for Cell’s core, vaporizing it to atoms before Gohan and his micro-Cell had a chance to intervene.

“She even managed to kill Cell!” Gohan lamented.

With his back now even more against the wall, Gohan’s mind raced to find anything they hadn’t tried yet. Everyone had fought to the absolute best of their ability, but even with several well planned strategies it was ultimately futile. Gohan of Universe 16 and Cell were both dead now. Without them, victory by overpowering her was impossible. His last resort was to try to reason with her, but the girl had just murdered her own brother without batting an eyelid. Babidi was nowhere to be found, and the tournament competitors still hadn’t returned. Was it time for him to just give up?

Our of the corner of his eye, he noticed his brother Goten lying on their balcony floor and close to death. In the devastated hallway of their apartment, Bra of Universe 18 hid, fearfully watching events play out. On the Universe 1 balcony, the Great Kaioshin remained static, his fists clenched. Even he had no idea how to remedy this catastrophe.

“Buuuu!”

The djinn freed himself from underneath the collapsed bleachers and joined Gohan.

“I’m not happy, she keeps hitting me and I can’t kill her. I’m very pissed!”

He turned to Gohan and his face suddenly wore a surprised look.

“But... You hit me earlier too! You’re a bad person!”

Gohan heaved a sigh of dejection and returned his attention to Bra. She stood in the middle of a crater that had formed from their conflict, but was not alone — she had just been joined by Phipsil of Universe 19. The Saiyan assumed she might have some kind of ultimate plan in mind, and was well aware of the power of the Heloites weapons. He had no choice but to let her try and use the time she bought to think of another strategy in case the Ultra soldier’s wouldn’t work.

Was there still a chance they could kill Son Bra? If energy blasts weren’t going to do the trick, there was one other option.

Skewer her heart with a piercing attack.

Gohan’s eyes were exhausted with both bitterness and sadness as he turned to Majin Buu.

“Alright, Buu, I may have another idea that can take her down once and for all, but I need your help. If you listen to me, we can win and save Master Babidi.”

“OK!” rejoiced Majin Buu.

“You have to try and turn her into a delicious candy you can eat. If that doesn’t work, try to absorb her like you did against me earlier! You got that?”

“Yes! I’ll turn her into a salty caramel!” exclaimed the djinn childishly.

“Did you follow all of that, little Cell?” Gohan whispered.

“Yeah!”

“We’re gonna teleport again. She knows how to counter us though, so we have to wait for the best possible opening! Stay ready for just the right instant!”

“Who do I teleport to?”

“Who do you think... wait, do you know where Babidi is?”

“Nope.”

Gohan groaned in frustration. “Well who do you think then? We only have one enemy out here, it’s Son Bra!”

“I thought my dad was your worst enemy!” replied the mini-Cell.

Gohan was too tired to argue the point. Cell was certainly his nemesis, but somehow he’d also been their most valuable ally during this battle. Majin Buu wasn’t the most reliable, being devoid of any intelligence. If Philpsil didn’t succeed, he would be on his own.

Son Bra glared over at Gohan as he planned his final assault. Whatever her pastiche of a brother would come up with, nothing could stop her.

She realized she could even go get Babidi now, as protecting him would no longer be a concern.

But before she could initiate her teleportation, footsteps approached her. Then, the sound of metal collapsing onto the ground. Bra turned to see Phipsil stripping out of her armor, but in a fighting stance.

“So, do you have anything to say for yourself, Son Bra?” she asked with determination. “You promised to save our universe, or did you forget? We thought you were a heroine, a true warrior. We even admired you, but now you’re just a wizard’s puppet. Do you seriously have no shame?”

The Saiyan girl grit her teeth, momentarily forgetting about Babidi.

“A puppet, me?” she repeated angrily. “I am the most powerful Saiyan ever!”

“Well to me you’re nothing but a charlatan. If you have even an ounce of pride then you’ll untransform and face me without any add-ons!”

A disdainful glare came from Bra in response, who without a word gave Phipsil a mighty blow straight to her ribs. The girl’s skeleton crumbled from the shock and life immediately left her body. Phipsil’s body collapsed, blood still seeping from multiple cuts and wounds across her body.

“Pathetic weakling, as if I’d lower myself to your level, you don’t deserve that,” Bra sneered, raising her fist. “Even with your armor I’d still win...”

Suddenly, a detail caught Bra’s attention in her peripheral vision. On her left boot there was a small bit of the Universe 19 ultimate weapon — carbonite. It was already too late to get it off!

Of course the Ultra warrior hadn’t counted on words alone or a plea to Bra’s code of honor. She knew she couldn’t win, even untransformed; she didn't feel stronger than that monstrous thirty-feet tall Frost Demon.

Perhaps she’d programmed her armor so that when it hit the ground the carbonite would be released. Maybe she had tried to angle her toss just right so that it would get on Bra, or maybe the Saiyan had budged the armor unintentionally with her foot when it had been thrown at her feet. It didn’t matter now.

“No, not that!” she panicked.

In a split second call, Bra fired an energy blast at her own foot, powerful enough to obliterate the quickly replicating carbonite. She cried out from the pain and rose into the air. Her leg was covered in burns and blood, but she had succeeded in destroying it.

“Ow ow, that bitch!” she swore. “A cheater right to the bitter end, pathetic worm!”

Suddenly, she felt movement in the air. At Gohan’s signal, Majin Buu had rushed her and was shouting.

“Turn into candy!”

Reactively, Son Bra teleported behind the Djinn and, without wasting time, used the disintegration technique Vegetto had taught her. Within an instant, Majin Buu’s body had been reduced to just his head and arms. Terrified, the djinn remembered the second part of Gohan’s plan. Partially on instinct, Buu then tried to wrap himself around Bra with what remained. The girl seemed unimpressed as she disappeared under his flesh.

“Tsh, as if this is going to work.”

“Ready? Teleport!” Son Gohan exclaimed, having prepared an energy blade on his fingertips.

The micro-Cell did his job and they vanished. Meanwhile, Bra had fired up her aura and blasted away all of the pink jelly that had encased her. She turned, feeling Gohan’s presence suddenly appear right behind her. Bra barely intercepted Son Gohan’s outstretched fist, the Ki blade only a few millimeters from her chest.

“Gah...” Gohan said, trying to force it forwards as much as possible.

“Grr”, Bra growed back at him, holding his hand firmly in place. "For your last stand, this wasn’t bad. If I had taken a quarter of a second longer, I’d be dead. I recognize that. But it’s over!”

Bra’s aura exploded around her and she planted a devastating right punch in Gohan’s face. The blow struck his forehead square on, splattering the poor mini-Cell into paste.

“N... No... Gohan!” his younger brother Goten groaned, still in his hiding place. He was hanging onto life by a small thread.

A figure suddenly leapt past him, headed into the fray. Recognizing them, he called out.

“No, Bra, don’t go!”

As Universe 18’s Gohan lost consciousness and collapsed onto the ground, his body was caught by none other than Bra of his own universe. She buckled at the weight of Gohan’s form, but regained her composure and held him close to her.

“No, no, Gohan!” she cried. “Please wake up, open your eyes!”

“Looks like it’s finally over,” Buu of Universe 4 thought, sighing in disappointment.

From the hallway, Bra had been watching the chaotic mass murder of her counterpart. She’d been horrified, helpless, terrified, but also frustrated. Seeing her alter-ego slice one of the Gohans in half was unfathomable, how had she sunk so low? The two Gohans hadn’t even been trying to kill her, just to bring her back to her senses. This girl that had boasted incessantly about being better than everyone else had murdered her own family all because a wizard told her to? The burden of knowing this counterpart of hers was capable of such atrocities had overwhelmed her with shame.

But when she saw her own Gohan fall — her protector, the father of her best friend Pan — her heart skipped a beat. Her body acted before she had a chance to even think, to save Gohan.

The gesture was symbolic at best though, as Gohan’s fall to the ground wouldn’t have hurt him any more than he’d already been. But now she was in the thick of it all, right in the middle of danger. Yet she didn’t care. She was focused on the man in her arms, who was showing no signs of life.

“Please, Gohan, don’t give up!” she continued weeping as she held him tightly. “I’m begging you, give me a sign!”

“Hahahaha!” Son Bra sneered, landing nearby. “Now I’m in trouble! Their long awaited reinforcements have finally arrived... my evil counterpart who couldn’t even smash a rock!”