The Red-Haired Warrior

Chen Hao released his right hand and drifted backward several meters with a lightness that seemed almost weightless.

His movements were as nimble as falling leaves. The instant his toes touched the ground, he slid away, effortlessly evading the attack.

The ki blast howled away like an angry meteor tearing across the sky before exploding in the distance, blooming into a massive mushroom cloud.

Flames and smoke roiled into the heavens, staining the sky dark red. The blast's aftershock whipped up a violent gale, making the hems of everyone's clothes flap loudly.

"Whew, that was close." Chen Hao brushed the dust from his collar, sounding utterly unconcerned, as though he were merely making small talk.

He lowered his head and glanced at the hem of his clothes, which did not even have a wrinkle. "Almost got my clothes dirty."

Cell was so furious he nearly ground his teeth to pieces. His eyes almost bulged from their sockets as he forced the words through clenched teeth. "Who exactly are you?"

"Chen Hao," he answered calmly, with a hint of nonchalance.

He tilted his head slightly and casually swept his gaze over the crowd, a faint smile playing on his lips. "A passing Saiyan."

The wind swept across the wasteland, lifting dust into the air and stirring his red hair.

"A Saiyan?" Cell sneered, his face full of disdain.

He narrowed his eyes and stared at Chen Hao: that red hair blazing like fire, those slanted red brows sharp as blades, and those dark crimson eyes, as if sparks were reflected in blood.

Most suffocating of all was the invisible pressure radiating from Chen Hao, spreading like a tide until even the loose stones on the ground trembled.

"I've never seen a Saiyan like this before." Cell curled his lip.

"There's plenty you haven't seen." Chen Hao stretched lazily, raising his arms straight overhead as his knuckles cracked.

He rolled his neck, the smile on his lips deepening. "But that's fine. You'll be experiencing something new very soon."

The moment he finished speaking, he vanished—there was no afterimage, no sonic boom, as though he had never existed at all.

The next second, he was already in front of Cell, close enough to nearly touch his skin.

Chen Hao clenched his right fist until his knuckles turned white, then violently twisted his waist. The power of his entire body erupted in a savage torrent, tearing through the air as it struck Cell in the abdomen.

"Boom!" A thunderous explosion burst forth. The shockwave spread outward from the two of them, web-like cracks splitting across the ground as rocks flew everywhere.

Cell did not even have time to react. Like a rag doll struck by an iron hammer, his body suddenly doubled over, his eyeballs nearly popping out.

A stream of warm liquid burst from his mouth—it was blood mixed with saliva. It arced through the air and landed on the ground, rising in a thin white mist.

"I'm not done yet." Chen Hao's voice clung to Cell's ear like a ghost.

Before he could recover, Chen Hao followed with a left uppercut.

The fist surged upward with twisting force and struck Cell squarely on the chin. With a sharp crack—the sound of bone shifting out of place—Cell was launched into the sky like a rocket, his body spinning along a warped trajectory straight into the heavens.

Everyone below held their breath.

Son Goku's eyes widened, his pupils shrinking as sweat appeared on his forehead. "Too fast... I couldn't even see him move..."

Piccolo crossed his arms, his face turning livid as veins throbbed at his temples. "Too fast... even my dynamic vision couldn't keep up. What kind of monster is he?"

Trunks' mouth hung wide open, nearly dislocated, his golden hair trembling in the wind. "He wasn't even going all out just now? He'd been holding back the whole time he fought us?"

Gohan clenched his small fists, his eyes shining with utter disbelief.

Chen Hao looked up, his gaze following the tumbling figure in the sky.

Sunlight shone in his red eyes like two blazing flames.

Cell finally managed to steady himself, hovering unsteadily in midair. His hands trembled, and a trace of green blood seeped from the corner of his mouth, gleaming with an eerie light under the sun.

The blood ran down his chin and dripped onto the cracked earth, where it continued to hiss and bubble.

"Well?" Chen Hao cocked his head, hands in his pockets, his tone as relaxed as if discussing an appetizer. "To your taste?"

The wind tousled his red hair, and he radiated an air of composure that bordered on arrogance.

Cell slowly wiped away the blood, but an almost ecstatic grin appeared on his face. His mouth split open to reveal gleaming white teeth, and his eyes shone with frenzied excitement.

"Impressive... truly impressive... It's been a long time since anything hurt this much!"

He suddenly straightened, spread his arms wide, and let out a long howl toward the sky.

The next second, green ki flames erupted around Cell's entire body, shooting upward like tangible fire and warping the air itself.

The ground shook violently. Broken stones bounced into the air, and waves of force spread outward in circles. The entire wasteland rippled like the surface of a lake, while the clouds overhead were torn into fragments.

"Next—" Cell stared fixedly at Chen Hao, the smile on his lips turning savage. "I'm getting serious!"

He brought his hands together, palms facing each other, and interlocked his fingers into a fist.

A suffocating energy began gathering wildly between his palms. Cyan light leaked through the gaps between his fingers, growing brighter and brighter, like a tiny sun on the verge of exploding.

That light illuminated the entire wasteland, making every stone and every crack clearly visible.

The air was filled with crackling bursts of energy, while loose stones on the ground were crushed into powder by the pressure.

"Kamehameha!" Cell's shout exploded outward. His palms slowly separated as a cyan sphere of light expanded, spun, and condensed between them, its pressure making every living thing tremble.

"Not good!" Son Goku's expression changed, his pupils shrinking to pinpoints as he abruptly stepped forward, his fists clenched white. "He's going to destroy this whole place!"

Yet Chen Hao showed no sign of tension. With his arms folded and the corners of his mouth slightly raised, he calmly watched Cell.

Cell planted his feet firmly on the ground, his hands together at his waist. His ki surged like a tsunami, golden light bursting from every pore as rocks and dust were swept up by the energy and suspended in the air.

His muscles tensed, veins bulged, and sweat evaporated into white mist. The blue-white orb of the Kamehameha kept expanding and contracting in his palm like a star still in the womb.

"What are you doing? Dodge it, now!" Android 18's voice suddenly came from behind him, so anxious it carried a note of panic. She leaned forward, fists clenched, her feet already itching to rush out.

Chen Hao glanced back at her, his gaze clear and his smile deepening. "Dodge? Why would I?"

He turned back to Cell, the loose strands over his forehead and the hem of his clothes trembling in the wind.

He let out a breath, looking as relaxed as if he were facing nothing more than a game.