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Chapter 21 - Dragon Ball – Chapter 18 – Leaving (Year 750) (Age 16)

Celes paused at the door, fingers lingering on the cool metal of the handle. The moment stretched, as if the weight of her journey pressed against this final threshold. Then, with a steady breath, she turned the knob, and the door swung open.

Muezli stood before her, framed by the soft glow of the dining hall behind. A warm scent drifted past, savory spices, freshly baked bread, the unmistakable comfort of home. She offered a gentle smile, eyes full of quiet understanding.

"Come," Muezli said. "Dinner's waiting."

Celes stepped forward, following Muezli inside. The room was alive with conversation Granolah, Flayk, and Monaito seated around the table, their voices weaving together in laughter and shared stories. For the first time in too long, they felt like a family again. Granolah's once-guarded demeanor had softened in the presence of his father and mother, and Monaito, the old mentor, sat with a look of deep contentment.

Celes took her seat, letting the warmth settle around her. The meal was rich, yet she barely tasted it, her thoughts were elsewhere, stretching beyond the walls of this home, reaching for distant stars.

As the conversation turned to quieter tones, Muezli set down her cup and looked at Celes. "You've done all that you came to do here."

Celes nodded. "Almost. The rest… will happen as I build the system all over the universe. But my time here is over."

Silence followed, not mournful, but accepting. Granolah glanced at her, his gaze carrying something unspoken, a farewell without words. Flayk offered a small smile, understanding more than he let on.

Monaito leaned forward. "The road ahead won't be easy." His voice was kind, yet firm. "But you've set things in motion that will shape the future."

"I know." Celes exhaled slowly, watching the flickering light of the candles on the table. "And it's time I started the next step."

The meal wrapped up with lingering words of encouragement, quiet farewells hidden in gestures, the way Muezli placed a hand on her arm, the way Granolah simply nodded, knowing words weren't needed.

Later, beneath the vast sky, Celes stood alone for a moment, staring at the horizon that would soon become nothing but memory. Then, with the stars calling her forward, she turned away, stepping into the future.

Six months passed.

Celes had not stopped moving, each month spent on a different planet, each world carrying its own scars, its own battles to be fought.

The remnants of the Frieza Force remained embedded deep within these civilizations, their control stretching far and wide. One by one, Celes liberated them, bringing each planet into the system she had designed.

Her journey began with Saute, a planet once known for its abundant natural resources and fertile land. Under Frieza's rule, Saute had been turned into nothing more than a mining colony, its people forced into grueling labor extracting rare minerals for the empire's fleet. The landscape was ravaged, entire regions reduced to barren wastelands where thriving ecosystems once stood. Celes led the charge, dismantling the oppressive labor camps and ensuring the Sauteans could reclaim their land.

From there, she moved to Brench, a world of speed and skill. The Brenchians were among the galaxy's fastest fighters, their unique physiology allowing them to outmaneuver most opponents with ease. Frieza's empire had long taken advantage of this, forcibly recruiting Brenchians as elite shock troopers, sending them into battle before their enemies could even react. Celes freed them, cutting ties between Brench and the empire once and for all. The planet's warriors, once bound to Frieza's will, were now free to fight on their own terms.

As she prepared to head to Nikochan, however, the retaliation came.

A Frieza Force invasion fleet struck back, seeking to reclaim one of the newly liberated planets before their grip weakened further.

Their target: Brench.

But they had severely miscalculated.

Celes intercepted them before their assault could begin, her mere presence enough to shake their confidence. Overwhelmingly stronger, she annihilated their forces with ease, cutting through their ranks before they even had time to comprehend their mistake.

What was meant to be a statement of power from the Frieza Force instead became their disgrace.

With the fleet reduced to nothing, Celes continued forward, pressing on with her mission.

Nikochan: A planet of inventors and engineers, known for its advanced research facilities. Under Frieza's rule, their technology was confiscated and repurposed for military conquest. Celes dismantled the control centers, allowing the Nikochans to reclaim their work. Meanwhile, Celes gathered the planet's technological data, ensuring it could be archived in her expanding mental library, which continued to grow month by month.

Ankoku: A world long buried in secrecy, where whispers of rebellion were crushed before they could spread. The people fought in the shadows, knowing full well they could not win alone. Celes brought them into the light, leading a planet-wide uprising that shattered the empire's hold for good. She secured all intelligence networks, ensuring Ankoku's people could now access their lost knowledge.

Beppa: A harsh, volcanic planet filled with elite warriors bred for survival. Beppans had long been used as fodder for Frieza's forces, trained for battle and shipped off-world. Celes destroyed the training facilities, giving the Beppans control of their own destiny. She catalogued centuries' worth of combat techniques, storing them in her mental library for future refinement.

Pital: A planet unlike the others, not under Frieza's control but struggling in its own way. Known across the galaxy as a hospital world, Pital was stretched thin, unable to provide for all those in need. Celes worked closely with its healers, solving logistical problems and connecting them to the system. Now, medical aid could reach even the most distant planets.

With every passing month, Celes' mental library grew, accumulating data from countless worlds, technology, combat strategies, knowledge lost to history, all stored and processed, ready to be used when needed.

Finally, as the last month drew to a close, Celes found herself standing on the moon outside Earth, staring down at the blue planet below. The past six months had reshaped the galaxy, but her own evolution had been just as profound.

She activated her mental link.

"Rapheal, give me a full status report."

"Acknowledged. Compiling full status report..."

Rapheal's presence settled within her mind, sharp and precise as ever.

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Status Report

Name: Celes

Age: 16

Race: Saiyan

Current Power Level: 687,376,530 

Permanent Saiyan Transformation: LSSJ2 (x1000)

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Abilities

Progressing Abilities

Shapeshifting – Form alteration fully integrated; functionality remains stable.

Hakai – Matter destruction technique; projected mastery in three years.

Time Destruction – Manipulation of temporal energy; projected completion in five years.

Gravity Burst – Compression and manipulation of gravitational forces; completion in four years.

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Transformations

Legendary Super Saiyan Rose (LSSJR) – Fully unlocked at 16; fusion of Natural Godly Ki and Mortal Ki stabilized.

Legendary Super Saiyan Rose 2 (LSSJR2) – Next stage of LSSJR; currently under research, projected completion in five years.

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Celes reviewed the full assessment, ensuring everything remained on course.

Her gaze lingered on Earth below, the planet glowing in the quiet void of space.

A small smile formed.

"It's time to go back," she murmured.

With that, energy flickered around her form, and in the span of a single breath—she was gone.

The cold silence of the moon gave way to the warmth of Earth, the pull of gravity settling around her once more.

Home.

Before her stood the humble dwelling where Grandpa Gohan remained, waiting as he always did.

Her journey had shifted the galaxy.

But now, she was back.

Where everything began.

The scene shifts.

Far from Earth, deep in the core of his expanding empire, Frieza stood atop the command dais of the Frieza Force headquarters on Planet Frieza Force 17.

The cold glow of starlight filtered through the high-tinted windows, casting sharp shadows across the expansive war room. Monitors flickered with incoming reports, conquest updates, fleet movements, planetary control statistics—all meticulously monitored by the elite officers gathered below.

Frieza leaned back in his throne, fingers tapping idly against the armrest as he skimmed the latest intelligence feeds.

"Status report," he commanded, voice calm yet laced with ice.

One of his highest-ranking officers, a tall Arcosian clad in obsidian armor, stepped forward.

"Lord Frieza," the officer began, bowing briefly before speaking. "The campaign against the Zalt system proceeds as planned. Four planets have fallen. Resistance is negligible. The final world will surrender within seventy-two hours."

A brief pause. Then, the officer's tone grew more rigid.

"However, Lord Frieza—five planets within our occupied territories have been lost over the past few months. Beppa, Saute, Brench, Nikochan, and Ankoku are no longer under our control. Their liberation has been confirmed, each falling one by one."

Frieza's fingers stilled against the throne's armrest. His gaze narrowed slightly.

"Explain."

The officer swallowed but remained firm. "No distress signals were received. No survivors from our forces. Entire fleets stationed on those worlds were displaced or destroyed. The operation was executed with precision, without warning."

Silence settled over the war room. The officer knew what this meant.

He barely had time to blink before a blinding streak of violet energy tore through the air.

The impact was instant. His form erased in a single blast, armor and flesh alike disintegrating into nothing.

The room remained still, none daring to speak.

Frieza leaned forward slightly, resting his chin on his knuckles.

"Find out who is responsible." His voice remained cold, unwavering.

"Or you will all share his fate."

(Words: 1591)

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