Trunks's Mistake Transformation

"?"

Son Goten stared at Trunks, his face full of confusion. Could Trunks also transform into a Super Saiyan 2? That confident smile set off alarm bells in his mind.

"Hiyah!"

Trunks' face twisted into a grimace as he let out a low roar.

"Hmm."

Son Goten took a stance, staring intently at Trunks. He could feel Trunks' energy beginning to surge violently.

Boom. Trunks' aura boiled around him like seething water, the gale-force winds sweeping outward and causing cracks to spiderweb across the flat tournament stage.

"Crackle, crackle."

Fissures spread out beneath Trunks' feet. His muscles began to bulge, and his energy became several times stronger than before. He looked like a small giant, standing significantly taller than Son Goten.

"Whew, what do you think, Goten?" Trunks asked with a smug grin, failing to notice the strange looks coming from everyone else.

"He's making the same mistake that other Trunks made back then."

"Goten's got this in the bag."

"That idiot, didn't I tell him not to use that flawed transformation?"

The Z Fighters standing on the highest platform commented on Trunks' change. Vegeta's expression was ghastly; he was so furious he could have killed Trunks. If the timing hadn't been so poor, he would have jumped down and taught him a lesson right then and there.

"Wow, look at that, his muscles got so big!"

The audience watched Trunks' current transformation in astonishment. After all, Trunks was just a child, and seeing him with muscles larger than an adult's was truly shocking.

Super Saiyan Third Grade. That's right, Trunks was currently using the Super Saiyan Third Grade. While his power had surged several times over—even reaching the level of a Super Saiyan 2—it drastically increased stamina consumption and slowed his speed. It was a fundamentally flawed evolution of the Super Saiyan form.

Son Goten rubbed his forehead in resignation. Seeing Trunks' confidence earlier, he had actually thought the boy had achieved something impressive, perhaps even breaking through the Super Saiyan bottleneck. It turned out to be nothing more than the Super Saiyan Third Grade.

"Here I come, Goten."

Trunks gave Son Goten a confident warning, then sprinted toward him on his short legs, charging like a wild bull.

Son Goten shifted his shoulder slightly, his body dodging the charge. Seeing that he had missed, Trunks changed direction and swung both fists at Son Goten.

"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh."

Trunks swung his fists, the wind whistling through the air, but Son Goten evaded every single strike.

"This shouldn't be happening. My power has increased so much, why can't I hit Goten?" Trunks muttered, looking at his own fists in bewilderment.

"Trunks, you've made a huge mistake," Son Goten said, staring seriously into Trunks' eyes. "Your power has increased, but haven't you noticed that your speed has slowed down?"

Trunks felt his heart skip a beat. He looked down at himself, dazed. It was true—Goten hadn't changed at all, his speed and power remaining exactly as they were. Even though his own transformed power was greater than before, he couldn't land a single hit. The one who was wrong was him.

"But you were right about one thing—it's time to end this," Son Goten said, a confident smile curling his lips.

"Nani?" Trunks was startled, then added, "Don't kid around, Goten. Even if my speed has dropped, if you try to attack me, I'll just throw you right out of the ring."

"Then give it a try," Son Goten smiled confidently, his expression suddenly turning stern.

Son Goten's face grew fierce. He bent his knees into a slight crouch, clenched his fists, and his golden aura began to erupt.

"Yahhh!"

Son Goten's energy skyrocketed wildly. The ground cracked, and small pebbles floated into the air as if gravity had vanished. A terrifying pressure enveloped him, the concentrated energy causing friction in the air as sparks of electricity danced around him.

"BOOM!"

Son Goten's aura boiled like a jet engine, arcs of electricity crackling around his body. His golden hair stood completely on end, save for a single lock hanging over his smooth forehead.

"No way... that looks just like Gohan did seven years ago," Krillin said, his mouth agape in shock.

"Impressive, Goten," Son Goku said, his fighting spirit shining through without reservation. If this weren't just the junior division tournament, he would have loved to spar with Son Goten right then and there. The world of a battle-maniac is hard to understand.

Trunks stared at Son Goten's transformation, dumbfounded. "Go... Goten, what transformation is that?"

"Emmm, you mean this?" Son Goten pointed to himself. "This is the correct way to transcend a Super Saiyan. Super Saiyan... Two."

Trunks gave a bitter smile, raised his hand, and said, "I forfeit."