"?"
Son Goten stared at Trunks in confusion. Could Trunks transform into Super Saiyan 2 as well? That confident smile set off alarm bells in Son Goten's mind.
"Hyah!"
Trunks' face twisted into a grimace as he let out a low growl.
"Hmm."
Son Goten assumed a fighting stance and stared intently at Trunks. He could feel Trunks' energy beginning to surge.
"Boom." The blazing aura around Trunks churned like boiling water, sending fierce gusts sweeping in every direction. Cracks spread across the flat tournament stage.
"Crack, crack."
The ground split in every direction beneath Trunks' feet. His muscles began to swell, and his energy grew several times stronger than before. He looked like a little giant, towering over Son Goten.
"Phew. What do you think, Goten?" Trunks asked with a smug grin, oblivious to the strange looks everyone else was giving him.
"He's making the same mistake Trunks made before."
"Goten's definitely going to win."
"What an idiot. Didn't we tell him not to use that flawed transformation?"
The Z Fighters on the highest platform watched Trunks' transformation and commented. Vegeta looked furious. Trunks was driving him mad. If the timing hadn't been so bad, he would've rushed down there and given him a good scolding.
"Wow, look! His muscles got so big!"
The spectators stared in amazement at Trunks' transformation. After all, he was just a little kid, so seeing muscles bigger than an adult's was truly astonishing.
Super Saiyan Third Grade. That was exactly what Trunks had transformed into. His strength had multiplied several times, even reaching the level of Super Saiyan 2, but the form rapidly drained his stamina and slowed him down. It was a flawed evolutionary path for Super Saiyan.
Son Goten rubbed his forehead helplessly. Seeing Trunks look so confident, he'd thought he was incredibly strong—that he'd actually broken through the Super Saiyan bottleneck. But it turned out he was only using Super Saiyan Third Grade.
"I'm coming, Goten!"
Trunks gave Son Goten a confident warning and hurried toward him on his short legs, charging like a raging bull.
Son Goten simply shifted his shoulder to the side and dodged Trunks' charge. When Trunks missed, he changed direction and swung both fists at Son Goten.
"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh."
Trunks threw punch after punch, the wind whistling through the air, but Son Goten dodged every one.
"This doesn't make sense. My strength got so much greater, so why can't I hit Goten?" Trunks murmured, staring blankly at his fists.
"Trunks, you made a big mistake." Son Goten looked sternly into Trunks' eyes and said calmly, "Your strength has increased, but haven't you noticed that you've gotten slower?"
Trunks' heart sank. He lowered his head and stared dazedly at his transformed body. It was true. Goten hadn't changed at all; his speed and strength were still the same as before. I transformed and got even stronger, but I still can't hit Goten. So I was the one who got it wrong.
"But you were right about one thing. It's time to end this." A confident smile tugged at the corner of Son Goten's mouth.
"What?" Trunks exclaimed, then added, "Don't mess with me, Goten. I might be slower now, but if you attack me, I'll just throw you out of the ring."
"Then give it a try," Son Goten replied with a confident smile, his expression turning serious the next moment.
Son Goten's face twisted into a grimace. He bent his knees and crouched slightly, clenching his fists as his golden aura began to surge.
"Yaaah!"
Son Goten's energy began to rise wildly. The ground cracked, and small rocks floated into the air as if weightless. A terrifying aura enveloped him. His concentrated energy rubbed against the air, sending sparks crackling in every direction.
"Boom."
Son Goten's aura roared around him like a jet of flame, electricity crackling across his body. His golden hair stood straight up, save for a small tuft hanging over his smooth forehead.
"No way. He looks just like Gohan did seven years ago!" Krillin exclaimed, gaping in astonishment.
"That's incredible, Goten!" The fighting spirit in Son Goku's eyes was impossible to hide. If this weren't a junior division match, he'd really want to fight Son Goten. Some things about battle-crazed people were beyond understanding.
Trunks stared at Son Goten's transformation, his finger trembling as he spoke. "G-Goten, what transformation is that?"
"Ummm, you mean this?" Son Goten pointed at himself. "This is what it really looks like to go beyond Super Saiyan. Super Saiyan... 2."
Trunks gave a bitter smile and raised his hand. "I give up."
Before you continue