Gohan moved.
No wasted words, no declaration.
The aura of Super Saiyan 2 boiled inside him, blue lightning coiling through his golden flame. He turned into a streak of light and appeared before Cell in an instant, his speed a whole level faster than before.
Cell's eyes widened slightly.
He raised a hand to block. Boom!
The fist slammed into his arm, and a shockwave exploded outward. Cell's body slid back half a meter, the ground beneath his feet cracking into a spiderweb.
For the first time, Cell was forced to retreat.
"Weren't you pretty arrogant just now?" Gohan's voice carried a taunt. "Why are you only dodging now?"
His fists did not pause. His relentless assault came like a storm, every punch and kick carrying destructive power. The aura of intertwined gold and blue lightning burst through the air, illuminating the entire battlefield.
Cell was forced onto the defensive.
It was not that he did not want to counterattack; Gohan's attacks were too fast, too fierce. Every strike found the gaps in his defense with precision, every breakthrough landing at exactly the right moment.
"Interesting."
Cell's voice remained calm, but his eyes changed.
He began to counterattack.
Their fists collided in midair. The shockwave swept across everything, shattering the ground within a hundred-meter radius. Gohan felt a terrifying force coming through the other's fist, more than one level stronger than before.
"You were testing me."
The corner of Cell's mouth lifted in a faint smile.
"So was I."
The purple markings on his body began to glow.
It was not reflected light, but radiance from the inside out, as if something were awakening beneath his skin. In those deep purple eyes, golden flames began to burn.
His aura began to surge.
520 million... 550 million... 580 million...
Gohan's pupils