Lightning Rescue

"You don't cherish this woman? Then I'll take her!" Cell laughed sinisterly, his voice carrying a hint of provocation.

Like a bolt of lightning, he chased after the energy blast. The ground beneath his feet exploded into a huge crater, sending rubble flying everywhere.

His entire body became a blurred shadow as he lunged at Android 18, moving so fast that even the air let out a sharp boom.

Cell's plan was simple: if Chen Hao went to save Android 18, he would launch a sneak attack. If Chen Hao didn't save her, then Android 18 would become his snack—and absorbing her would make him even stronger.

No matter how he calculated it, he had nothing to lose.

The wind howled. The energy blast drew ever closer, and Cell was nearly there as well.

Android 18's pupils contracted. She wanted to retreat, but that oppressive force had already locked onto her. Death's shadow hung directly over her head.

But Cell had completely underestimated Chen Hao's reaction speed—a speed so fast it made one suffocate.

Just before Cell could touch Android 18—in that instant, when the air itself seemed to tear open—Chen Hao suddenly appeared in front of Cell, soundless and faster than a ghost.

The pressure of the wind exploded, scattering the rubble across the ground in every direction.

"I told you." Chen Hao's voice was calm to the point of stillness, utterly without fluctuation.

He raised a hand, spread his five fingers, and firmly caught Cell's incoming heavy punch.

The force of the punch exploded outward, the shockwave spreading through the surroundings and making the trees sway violently as leaves scattered through the air.

"To deal with you—" Chen Hao looked coldly at Cell, as merciless as ice, "I don't even need to transform."

As soon as he finished speaking, he violently swung his arm, his muscles taut like a fully drawn bowstring.

Cell was flung away like a cannonball. He tumbled several times through the air, smashed through three thick trees, and sent rocks and splinters exploding into a cloud of dust. Finally, he crashed into the ground, blasting out a massive crater before barely managing to steady himself.

Cell slowly rose to his feet and brushed the mud and broken stones from his body.

For the first time, the expression on his face became grave. In those icy eyes appeared confusion and unease unlike anything he had ever felt before.

Something was wrong.

Completely wrong.

He had clearly become perfect. His power was countless times greater than before, every cell brimming with vigor, his aura powerful enough to twist even the air.

But why, before Chen Hao, did he still feel as though he were facing an insurmountable mountain?

That sense of oppression, that unfathomable composure, made him feel something for the first time—fear.

"You... who exactly are you?" Cell's voice was low, suppressing rage, though it trembled faintly. "There's no Saiyan like you! I checked all the records, from Vegeta to Kakarot, from the future to the past—there's no trace of you!"

Chen Hao spoke faintly, his voice as soft as a whisper in the wind. "Who said I was a Saiyan?" He tilted his head slightly, his red hair drifting gently in the airflow. His expression remained calm, as if he had merely mentioned something trivial.

"I just happen to have Saiyan blood."

Those words struck Cell's heart like a boulder, stirring up towering waves.

He froze, his pupils shrinking as his mind raced, yet he could not make sense of it no matter how hard he tried.

Just then, Chen Hao suddenly frowned.

He keenly sensed three extremely powerful auras rushing toward them at astonishing speed.

Those energy waves cut through the sky like three sharp blades, fierce and vigilant.

Chen Hao turned around and saw three figures rapidly approaching from afar—one gleaming gold like a meteor, one green and steady, and one youthful yet filled with explosive power.

Son Goku, Gohan, and Piccolo.

The three had clearly been drawn over by the aura Cell had released upon reaching his perfect form—that oppressive presence could be felt even several kilometers away.

The moment they arrived at the battlefield and saw Chen Hao confronting Cell, they all stopped in midair, stunned for a moment.

"This is..." Son Goku's gaze was as sharp as a blade as it swept over Cell's perfect body. His expression instantly turned serious. "Perfect form?"

Piccolo looked even worse. Sweat formed on his forehead, and his fists clenched unconsciously. His voice was low and restrained. "This is bad... Cell has evolved completely."

"That means—we've lost every advantage."

Son Goku shook his head, then turned his gaze toward Chen Hao. Surprise and curiosity inevitably filled his eyes. "That red-haired Saiyan is here too."

Standing behind him, Gohan spoke softly, unable to hide the childish confusion in his voice. "Dad, it looks like they're fighting."

Son Goku nodded.

He could sense the atmosphere between Cell and Chen Hao—tense, oppressive, thick with enough gunpowder to explode at any moment.

Invisible currents crackled through the air, ready to ignite a massive brawl at any second.

"It seems," Son Goku said after taking a deep breath, his voice blending into the wind, "the situation is far more complicated than we thought."

The setting sun cast long, dark shadows over the wasteland.

The air was filled with sand and the scorched smell left behind by battle. Broken rocks covered the ground, and deep cracks disappeared into the darkness below.

Chen Hao slowly turned around, his gaze sweeping like a sharp blade toward someone in the distance.

He wore an orange martial arts uniform, his black hair lightly stirring. His eyes were clear and resolute, and every step he took on the rubble carried a steady echo.

It was Son Goku.

Chen Hao's gaze lingered on Son Goku for a moment as he sized up this legendary warrior.

Under the setting sun, his outline stood sharply defined.

He could sense a steady yet vast aura hidden within the other man, like a dormant volcano that could erupt at any moment.

Was that Kakarot?

The protagonist of Dragon Balls stood right before him.

Goku stood quietly, looking as though he was about to merge with heaven and earth.

A faint golden aura flickered over the surface of his body—the mark of a Super Saiyan.

Every thread of power sent ripples through the air, making it tremble faintly.

"Dad, that person... is very strong." Gohan stood some distance away, his low voice unable to hide his shock.

He cautiously swept his gaze over Chen Hao, his pupils contracting. "Stronger than every opponent we've ever faced."

"I can feel it. His power is like a bottomless black hole..."

Son Goku nodded, a faint smile appearing at the corners of his mouth—the kind of excitement he only showed when facing a powerful foe.

"Yeah, very strong. And he's a Saiyan too."

Piccolo frowned, his green face looking unpleasantly tense.

He crossed his arms over his chest, his gaze shifting back and forth between Chen Hao and Goku. "Are you sure he's a Saiyan? Why can't I sense that pure battle aura from him?"

"You can't sense it?" Goku stared at Chen Hao, his gaze sharp enough to pierce through his soul. "That aura unique to Saiyans—no matter how deeply he hides it, it can't escape my senses."

"Just as fire can't hide its heat, the resonance between Saiyans won't disappear."

"I can smell that familiar lingering scent of battle on him."