The two Mini Cells that had been cut in half still hadn't realized what had happened. It wasn't until they saw purple blood dripping onto the ground that they finally understood they'd been sliced clean in two.
The last time they had ever been put in such a helpless situation was over a decade ago, when they faced Gohan as a Super Saiyan 2. They never imagined they'd experience it again.
To say they weren't scared would be a lie. But more than fear, what the five Mini Cells felt was pure humiliation. They had only just broken through to a new level and wanted to show off in front of their boss; instead, they had been cut in half without even putting up a fight.
The Man in Black slowly walked over to them. "You're still no match for me. And one more thing: this tournament... I absolutely will not let Universe 7 win."
His voice was firm and decisive, sounding less like a statement and more like a declaration.
One of the bisected Mini Cells let out a chuckle. "Heh... I never expected Universe 10 to rely on so many dirty tricks just to win. So... whose body did you steal?"
The question immediately caught Trunks' attention. Seeing the Mini Cell lying there in such a miserable state while trying to bait the Man in Black for info reminded him of the way Piccolo used to trick enemies into talking.
So, Trunks chose to keep watching. After all, the Mini Cells carried Piccolo's cells. They could regenerate.
Unfortunately, the Man in Black wasn't fooled. He merely smiled.
"Trying to trick me into talking? I'm not telling you. And don't lump me together with the others from Universe 10. What they do has nothing to do with me, I couldn't care less. My goal is simple: I just won't allow Universe 7 to become the champion. ...Actually, let me rephrase that. I won't allow 'any' universe to become the champion."
The moment those words were spoken, Trunks fixed his gaze on the Man in Black and didn't look away.
"Oh? Interesting. You're representing Universe 10, yet you say you don't want any universe to win. If you beat us, then wouldn't Universe 10 be the champion anyway? Isn't that a contradiction?" Trunks stared straight at him, waiting for an answer.
The Man in Black said nothing. He slowly lowered his head, letting out an eerie laugh, and then all at once, he threw his head back and burst into loud laughter.
"HAHAHAHA!!"
"As expected... the smartest person in Universe 7 noticed the problem right away. You're right. From your point of view, it does sound contradictory. But have you ever thought about what the tournament rules actually say? The 'last person standing' gets to make the wish. As long as I'm the final winner, Universe 7 won't get its wish. Universe 10 may survive, but the right to use the Super Dragon Balls will still belong to me. So... do you understand now?"
The Man in Black's words echoed into Universe 10's observation room. Everyone there heard his bold declaration loud and clear.
Rumsshi stood frozen in place, staring blankly as he fell into deep thought. He had already seen how powerful the Man in Black was; the man had severely wounded all five Golden Mini Cells by himself.
He certainly had the strength to back up his arrogance, but there was still one factor Rumsshi couldn't control: this man clearly wasn't taking orders from Zamasu.
He had plans of his own, and he intended to claim the Super Dragon Balls to make the wish himself. What kind of wish he would make had now become an unpredictable variable as well.
Rumsshi turned toward Zamasu and demanded, "Lord Zamasu, why isn't this guy following your orders? What's he planning to do with the Super Dragon Balls?"
But when he looked at Zamasu, he saw something completely unexpected. Zamasu was staring at the screen in utter shock, his eyes fixed on it for a long moment before he turned to Rumsshi.
"Lord Rumsshi... what do you mean? Wasn't he one of the ten people you originally selected?"
Zamasu's words hit Rumsshi like a blast of icy wind. Rumsshi immediately looked back at the screen.
"What?! Since when did I recruit someone this powerful? You've got to be kidding! There's no way Universe 10 has a fighter like this!"
Rumsshi's response left Zamasu both stunned and confused. He clearly remembered that this man was the only one left from the original group of ten Rumsshi had chosen, yet now Rumsshi himself had no idea who he was.
At this point, there was only one possible explanation: this man definitely wasn't from Universe 10, nor was he one of the fighters Zamasu had recruited. He had slipped into Universe 10's team as an impostor.
"Damn it! He must've replaced one of the ten people Lord Rumsshi originally selected! Damn it... When I tested the original ten, I actually believed his lies! I should've realized it sooner! How could Universe 10 possibly have someone this strong?! Damn it... If this guy gets the Super Dragon Balls, who knows what kind of wish he'll make!"
For the first time, Zamasu had completely lost his composure. He was genuinely panicking. He knew absolutely nothing about this man, and it felt as though there was a ticking time bomb hidden right inside his own team.
...
Trunks carefully listened to everything the Man in Black was saying. By now, he had a pretty good idea of the situation.
The man was indeed representing Universe 10, but he clearly wasn't one of Zamasu's hired subordinates. He had his own agenda, and his goal was simple, he wanted the Super Dragon Balls for himself.
"So," Trunks said, "you're not one of Zamasu's lapdogs?"
"Of course not," the Man in Black replied. "I never expected those fools to actually obey Zamasu anyway. What they do has nothing to do with me. I only care about getting what I want. Honestly, it wouldn't have mattered which universe I entered the tournament with."
Trunks nodded. Then he looked at the Man in Black and said, "So... you came prepared. You investigated us beforehand."
The Man in Black froze for a split second, his body stiffening. "You figured that out?"
Trunks thought back to everything that had happened. Whether it was the way the man evaluated the Mini Cells or the way he judged Trunks himself, it was obvious he already knew them inside and out.
Clearly, he had done his homework before the tournament. In other words... the universe he had truly been targeting all along was Universe 7.
The Man in Black replied calmly, "So what if I did?"
At that moment, the five Golden Mini Cells slowly climbed back to their feet. Their bodies had already regenerated completely. Cracking their knuckles, the five stood shoulder to shoulder before merging back into one in a flash.
Super Perfect Cell stared at the Man in Black and smirked.
"So what if you did? What do you mean, 'so what'? Huh?"
(End Of This Chapter)
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