Eve of Battle

"It's time to rest."

He did not even turn his head, merely tossing out those words.

Android 18 gave the city's fading lights one last glance, softly answered, and followed him down the stairs.

Morning sunlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows, laying a dazzling layer of gold across the room.

The birds outside chirped with startling clarity, and every now and then, the sound of distant engines drifted over.

Chen Hao sat cross-legged on the sofa with his eyes closed, as though meditating.

He wore nothing but a plain white T-shirt, his arms resting casually on his knees. His breathing was deep and unhurried, as if nothing in the world could disturb him.

The sunlight fell across his profile, sharpening the lines of his face.

Suddenly, he snapped his eyes open, and his expression changed.

A powerful aura erupted in the distance, like a volcano awakening. A wave of energy surged into the sky, and even the heavens seemed to darken for an instant—the aura was filled with savagery, brutality, and killing intent.

Chen Hao's pupils contracted, but he quickly calmed down.

He rose to his feet and walked to the floor-to-ceiling window.

The window was half open. Morning wind rushed into the room, so he simply pushed it all the way open and leaned out to look toward the enormous arena in the distance.

"It's begun," he said softly, almost like a sigh.

Hurried footsteps suddenly came from next door, followed by the door being flung open with a bang.

Android 18 stood in the doorway in a loose blue shirt, her hair still slightly messy from sleep, several blond strands at her forehead sticking up wildly.

But her expression was completely awake, even a little tense.

"Chen Hao!" She hurried over, following his gaze into the distance, then instinctively swallowed.

"It's Cell and Gohan, right?"

Chen Hao said nothing. He only nodded, his eyes never shifting for even a moment.

A patch of clouds in the distance was forcefully blasted apart, revealing the clear blue sky behind them.

Android 18 stepped closer, unconsciously gripping the hem of her shirt so tightly that her knuckles turned pale.

That aura was simply too powerful. Even from so far away, it made her heart tighten.

She took a deep breath and tried to steady her voice. "Are we going over now?"

The corner of Chen Hao's mouth seemed to twitch. "Don't rush."

"Let him fight for a while."

Android 18 choked on her words, feeling both helpless and faintly amused. "You..." She did not continue, and could only stand beside him, staring once more at the distant sky.

A deafening boom rolled in from afar.

"Mm." Chen Hao nodded, his gaze unmoving as his fingertips unconsciously tapped against the windowsill. "No need to hurry. Let them have their fill of it first."

Android 18 silently moved to his side, the hem of her skirt swaying lightly in the wind.

Her gaze followed his, but the cloud cover was so thick that she could not see anything at all.

There was only the rustling of wind through the leaves, mixed now and then with birdsong.

She began twisting her fingers together, anxiety winding around her heart like vines.

But she knew Chen Hao would not act without reason, so she could only force herself to be patient.

She steadied her breathing and stood firm, her eyes still fixed tightly on that stretch of sky.

Time slipped away bit by bit. A faint scent of dust hung in the air, and the sun slowly tilted westward, casting long shadows.

Suddenly, the ground began to tremble slightly, and an incomparably violent surge of energy came from afar.

The window frames buzzed, and fine ripples spread across the water in the glass on the table.

Chen Hao frowned. His aura perception had long since spread outward like a net.

At that moment, he clearly sensed it—Gohan's aura had skyrocketed in an instant, bursting past its limits like an erupting volcano.

But soon after, it plummeted just as rapidly, as though something had suddenly swallowed it whole.

"Something's changed." Chen Hao turned around, a sharp glint flashing through his eyes as he casually patted his collar. "Come on. We need to go take a look."

Android 18 immediately followed, her steps almost perfectly in sync with his.

Neither of them used the door. Chen Hao directly pushed open the window, and wind instantly poured inside, pulling the curtains taut with a loud flutter.

With a slight leap, he shot out like an arrow released from its bow. Android 18 followed close behind, her hair sweeping through the air in a beautiful arc.

They hovered in midair for an instant, then transformed into two streaks of light and sped toward the arena.

The wind roared past their ears, while the scenery below raced backward as if rewinding.

Chen Hao's clothes clung to his body, while the approaching battlefield was already reflected in Android 18's eyes.

By the time they arrived, the arena had already become a complete mess.

The once-smooth ground looked as though it had been plowed by a monster, riddled with deep craters and scattered rubble.

Some of the debris still bore charred black marks, with wisps of smoke yet to dissipate.

Gohan lay in the middle of a huge crater, half-buried in the loose soil. His body was covered in wounds, blood and shredded clothing clinging together. His arms hung limply against the ground, and he had long since lost consciousness.

His breathing was faint, as though every breath was draining the last of his strength.

Son Goku stood nearby, his face grim and his fists clenched so tightly they had turned white. Complex emotions churned in his eyes—anger, sorrow, and endless self-blame.

Cell hovered in midair, his body covered in cracks and streaks of scorching. Fragments of his shell hung from his shoulders.

He looked utterly wretched, yet red light still coiled around him. His aura had not weakened in the slightest; instead, he resembled a beast that had lost control, ready to tear everything apart at any moment.

"What happened?" Chen Hao stepped down, making the rubble crunch beneath his feet.

One glance at Gohan's injuries made his brow knit tightly.

Son Goku looked up at him, his voice so low it seemed forced out from the depths of his throat. "Gohan awakened the power of Super Saiyan 2 and suppressed Cell."

"He had already won—the guy had been beaten so badly he couldn't fight back at all."

"But he—" Son Goku clenched his fists, his knuckles cracking sharply. "That guy expanded his energy to the limit, preparing to perish together with Earth."

"Self-destruction?" Chen Hao's gaze fell on Cell, his eyes turning cold.

"I couldn't stop him." Son Goku's voice was hoarse and strained. "Gohan used up all his energy protecting everyone. Now Cell's body is already starting to destabilize. Look—"

He raised a hand and pointed into the air. "That red light is a sign that he's about to explode. If we don't do something, Earth is finished."

Chen Hao stared at Cell.

The guy's entire body glowed red, his energy waves as chaotic as a storm, twisting the air into spirals.

Cell's skin bulged one moment and caved in the next, enough to make anyone's scalp crawl. The energy inside him seemed impossible to contain.

"Hahahaha!" Cell's mad laughter nearly shook the ground apart. "That's right!"

"Since I can't beat you, I'll drag the entire Earth down with me!"

"My body is about to reach its limit. When that happens, I'll send both Earth and all of you straight to hell!"

He spread his arms, his chest swelling like a balloon. The red light around him stabbed painfully at their eyes, and more and more cracks appeared across his body.

Trunks's face was deathly pale, cold sweat pouring down as his hands continued to tremble. "What do we do?"

"We can't get anywhere near him! I tried just now—I got blasted away the moment I touched him!" He pointed at several trenches in the ground, all left by the force that had thrown him back.

Piccolo's brow furrowed deeply, his calmness sharp as a blade. "Goku, use Instant Transmission to take him away! Throw him directly into outer space—"