Ready to Strike Anytime

He slowly opened his eyes, his icy gaze sweeping over everyone present as though appraising lambs awaiting slaughter. "So... are you ready to welcome death?" Cell elegantly raised his right hand, a chilling glow of energy gathering at his fingertips. "Will you come one at a time, or be sent on your way together?" "Arrogant!" Vegeta roared, a dazzling golden aura erupting around him. The ground cracked beneath his feet, and rubble was swept into the air by his violent energy. "Let a mongrel inferior like you see what true power is!"

Golden waves of energy shot into the sky. Vegeta's muscles swelled slightly, every line brimming with explosive power. He took a fighting stance, his sharp gaze locked firmly onto Cell. Tang Yangbing gently shook his head and muttered, "Perfect Form... nothing special." His eyes remained calm, as if the earth-shattering battle about to erupt before him was merely an insignificant show. Someone actually dared to act so arrogantly before him? A cold curve formed at Vegeta's lips, fierce fighting spirit blazing in his eyes as if it would devour heaven and earth alike.

"Bang—!"

A thunderous blast tore through the air. The ground beneath Vegeta instantly shattered, stones spraying in every direction like rain. His figure became a streak of lightning, so fast it was nearly impossible to follow with the naked eye, leaving only a blurred afterimage wavering in the air. Howling winds whipped up dust, as though even the world trembled at his speed. Yet in the face of this overwhelming strike, Cell merely stood where he was, a disdainful smirk lifting the corner of his mouth. His eyes were as cold as frost, as if he were watching a performance with no suspense whatsoever. "Die, bastard!"

Vegeta appeared before Cell in an instant like a phantom, his fists turning into countless afterimages that poured forth wildly like Gatling gunfire. Every punch shrieked through the air, the dense barrage crashing toward every part of Cell's body like a torrential downpour. Wherever the fist-winds passed, the air itself seemed to tear apart with piercing detonations. "Ignorant, Vegeta. You know nothing of true power! Let me open your eyes!" Cell's voice was low and dripping with mockery. He did not even alter his stance to defend himself.

Just as Vegeta's barrage was about to touch him, a vast aura suddenly erupted from within Cell like an exploding volcano, sweeping through the surroundings. Golden radiance enveloped his entire body, like an indestructible barrier. "Clang! Clang! Clang—!" A series of ear-splitting metallic impacts rang out. Vegeta's fists struck as though they were hitting unbreakable alloy, each collision throwing off dazzling sparks. Yet no matter how frantically he attacked, Cell's body did not budge in the slightest—not even a trace of injury appeared. "Too weak, Vegeta. Is that all the power you have? What a disappointment!"

Cell looked down at Vegeta with contempt, his eyes full of scorn and ridicule. He seemed to be enjoying a clumsy performance, while Vegeta was nothing more than a toy in his hand. "Damn it! How dare you look down on me!" Vegeta's fury erupted like a volcano. His eyes reddened, every muscle in his body tightening as his aura surged once more. Yet Cell remained standing, like an immovable mountain, silently declaring the vast gap between their strength. Cell's attack came far too suddenly, so quickly that there was not the slightest warning. Vegeta did not even have time to adjust his breathing before his vision blurred and an afterimage closed in like a phantom.

Cell's fist screamed through the air, like lightning splitting the sky as it struck straight for Vegeta's chest. The fist-wind was razor-sharp and its force like blades, compressing the surrounding air until it twisted and distorted with booming detonations. Vegeta's pupils contracted sharply. He instinctively tried to raise his arms to block, but his body could not keep up with that terrifying speed. With a dull bang, Cell's fist slammed solidly into his chest. In that instant, Vegeta felt as if a mountain had violently crashed into his internal organs, while his breastbone cracked with a teeth-grinding sound.

His entire body flew backward like a kite with its string cut, tracing a miserable arc through the air. "Pffft—" A mouthful of scalding blood sprayed from Vegeta's mouth, becoming a mist of crimson in the air. His body slammed heavily into the ground, kicking up dust that filled the sky. His once-sharp presence vanished in an instant, replaced by violent coughing and ragged breaths. Blood continued to spill from the corner of his mouth, staining his proud chin red. "Hiss—" Krillin and the others watching all sucked in a breath at once, every hair on their bodies standing on end. They could clearly see that Vegeta's battle suit had shattered across his chest, exposing a distinct fist mark.

That terrifying impact had even gouged a deep trench through the ground. Piccolo clenched his fists, cold sweat beading on his forehead; all three of Tien Shinhan's eyes widened as he stared at the scene in disbelief. "Damn it! I'll kill you!" Seeing his father grievously wounded, Trunks's fury instantly overwhelmed his reason. He let out an earth-shaking roar, and a golden aura exploded around him, dazzling golden light bursting from his body. The ground cracked inch by inch beneath his feet, while rubble was swept high into the air by the raging energy currents.

His hair instantly turned a brilliant gold, his pupils becoming emerald green, and the aura surrounding him burned more fiercely than ever before—this was Super Saiyan 1 at full power! Trunks clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white from the force. He stared fixedly at Cell, vengeance blazing in his eyes. Every cell in his body roared for him to tear apart the enemy who had hurt his father. Waves of energy spread outward from him, whipping the clothes of the onlookers wildly in the wind.

Trunks gritted his teeth and gripped his energy sword with both hands. Every muscle in his body tensed as golden flames of energy burned around him. He suddenly charged forward, his blade cutting through the air with a piercing howl. Yet Cell merely sneered. His body flickered like a phantom, easily evading the attack. Cell's tail lashed out like a venomous serpent, instantly coiling around Trunks's ankle and hurling him viciously toward a distant mountainside.

With a thunderous crash, rubble flew everywhere as Trunks's body embedded deeply into the rock, blood seeping from the corner of his mouth. Vegeta roared at the sight, dazzling blue light exploding from his entire body as his fists rained down on Cell. Every punch carried the power to rip through space, yet each was stopped by an invisible barrier as it neared Cell. Cell leisurely lifted a hand, gathering a dark-red energy sphere at his fingertip before flicking it lightly. The sphere instantly expanded and swallowed Vegeta whole. After the blinding light faded, Vegeta crashed heavily onto the ground, his battle suit shredded and his body covered in charred wounds. Father and son had been utterly defeated! "Looks like it's my turn, then!"

Tang Yangbing rolled his wrists, excitement flashing in his eyes. Just as he was about to step forward, a silver-white figure flashed past like lightning—Android 18 could no longer restrain her fury and turned into a streak of light as she charged straight at Cell. "You damned monster! How dare you absorb Android 17!" Android 18's voice trembled with rage, her silver hair whipping wildly in the fierce wind. "Spit him back out!" Blinding white light gathered at her slender fingertips as she crashed toward Cell like a falling meteor. Tang Yangbing frowned slightly. Android 18's combat power at this moment was not even equal to that of the severely injured Vegeta. Charging in so recklessly was no different from seeking death.

He quietly stirred the energy within his body, spreading his feet slightly as he prepared to intervene at any moment.