"Let's do it here."
In a desolate stretch of land to the northwest, Cell was the first to stop, descending to the ground.
Son Gohan had taken off before Cell and accelerated with all his might, but he hadn't expected his opponent to overtake him so effortlessly.
Cell looked over the uneven ground. With a single palm strike, he flattened the entire area until the earth was as smooth as if a giant steamroller had passed over it.
He lifted a nearby mountain and carved it into evenly sized stone blocks. With a wave of his hand, the blocks fell into neat rows on the ground, forming a familiar ring.
"I've recreated the World Martial Arts Tournament ring. I'll kill you under the rules you're best at," Cell said smugly.
"Who asked you?" Son Gohan was speechless.
Cell really was an insufferable show-off. You could ignore him, and he'd still find a way to show off anytime, anywhere.
No wonder. He had Saiyan cells from both Son Goku and Vegeta inside him. Being low-key was probably impossible.
"Then let's get started."
Son Gohan wanted to gauge Cell's strength and see how big the gap was between them when he was at full power as a Super Saiyan 2.
As long as he can't kill me with one punch, there's still hope.
"Not yet. We'll wait for Son Goku and the others to arrive. Otherwise, there'll be no one around to appreciate how I kill you," Cell continued smugly.
If I say another word to you, I'll be a dog. Son Gohan cursed him furiously in his mind, turned away, and ignored him completely.
Before long, Vegeta arrived, and then the others gathered by the ring.
"Very well, I hereby declare the Cell Games officially begun!"
"I'll fight first!" Son Gohan had been itching for a fight. He secretly took a Senzu Bean from his pocket and held it in his mouth.
That way, if he got badly hurt in the fight, he wouldn't have to worry about not having time to treat himself.
Cell shook his head and said slowly, "I don't think I made myself clear. All of you can come at me together. I'll take on ten."
"Huh?"
Son Gohan counted. There were only nine of them on this side, and Cell was still showing off. Was he ever going to stop?
Whoosh!
Just then, Supreme Kai and Kibito appeared in the distance, standing atop a huge boulder as they watched.
"Who are they? Why do I feel uneasy around them?" Piccolo furrowed his brow. Looking in their direction made him feel inferior.
"Supreme Kai!"
Son Gohan was delighted. Cell's evil aura, comparable to Majin Buu's, must have drawn them here.
Great! Now he could go to the Sacred World of the Kai, release Old Kai from fifteen generations ago, and maybe even get in touch with Whis and Beerus.
Son Gohan felt as though he'd finally come through the worst of it. Once he had a connection to an Angel and received Whis's guidance, his training would progress much faster.
"Su...Supreme Kai!" Piccolo stared in shock as sweat trickled down his face. His voice had gone hoarse.
Above the Kais of the four galaxies stood the Grand Kai, and above him was an even higher-ranking deity: the Supreme Kai.
No wonder he felt so oppressed. The difference in their dimensions was simply too great. Piccolo had fused with Earth's Kami, but there was still an unbridgeable chasm between him and the Supreme Kai.
"They seem pretty ordinary to me," Krillin remarked.
Those without divine office couldn't feel the pressure emanating from the Supreme Kai.
"Supreme Kai, that green monster is the source of the evil aura." Kibito looked grave. Up close, Cell's oppressive presence was even stronger.
"Those Earthlings over there look like they intend to fight him."
"They're not just Earthlings. There are Saiyans, Namekians, and Three-Eyed People among them." The Supreme Kai spoke gravely. There were almost no races in the universe that he didn't recognize.
He couldn't understand how these people, whose strength seemed so ordinary, had the courage to fight that monster. So he decided to watch for now.
"It seems those two strangers don't intend to join the fight." Cell swept his gaze over them and paid them no mind.
He didn't recognize the Supreme Kai, but he could tell how strong the two of them were. The white-haired youth was about as strong as Cell in his perfect form, and the other one was even weaker.
Son Gohan didn't pay them any mind either. With their strength, the Supreme Kai and Kibito couldn't help much.
"Cell, you said you'd take on ten by yourself. Then we won't hold back!"
As soon as Son Gohan finished speaking, he transformed into a Super Saiyan 2. A golden aura burst around him, lightning leaped constantly around his body, and a tuft of golden hair fluttered above his forehead.
Trunks and Vegeta transformed into Super Saiyans at the same time, their golden auras surging skyward.
Neither had the signature lightning of a Super Saiyan 2, but the energy within them was already brimming at its limit.
Son Goku stopped holding back. With a loud shout, he instantly broke through to Super Saiyan 2. His golden aura quivered faintly, clearly showing that he had only just reached this level and hadn't yet gained stable control over his energy.
"Kakarot!" Vegeta roared in fury. He'd been surpassed again.
Piccolo didn't transform. His white aura erupted silently, as heavy as a boulder, its strength second only to Son Gohan's.
Tien Shinhan, Chiaotzu, Yamcha, and Krillin brought their lifelong martial arts training to bear. Four concentrated auras spread out, their power not to be underestimated.
Nine powerful auras shot into the heavens, weaving together and clashing as they merged. The clouds overhead were torn apart, and a vast energy filled the area.
The entire wasteland trembled violently, and several mountains in the distance suddenly collapsed.
On the enormous boulder, the Supreme Kai's and Kibito's robes snapped in the gale. The two stared intently at the nine auras.
"How can people in the lower realms possess such tremendous power?" Kibito was utterly blindsided. His understanding of the world had been completely overturned.
"There are actually three whose strength far exceeds mine..." A huge storm had already risen in the Supreme Kai's heart.
In his long life, he had known of the Super Saiyans, but he had never seen any so powerful.
The Supreme Kai had always believed he was the highest deity in the universe. He didn't even know about the Gods of Destruction and Angels.
"Cell, we don't intend to bother with any talk of honor. Even if we have to gang up on you, we're going to beat you to death today!" Son Gohan suddenly had the impression that his side wasn't weak at all.
"Gang up on me?"
Cell spoke in a deep, oddly resonant voice, then looked at the nine of them and gave a mysterious smile.
Cell crossed his arms over his chest. His tail suddenly swelled, and he whipped it back and forth, spitting out blue creatures like a hen laying eggs.
When the creatures hit the ground, Son Goku and the others saw what they were: Cell Jr.s.
Nine Cell Jr.s had emerged, each only as tall as Cell's knees.
"Cell, that's really low! Why did you make so many Cell Jr.s? You want to gang up on us?" Son Gohan rebuked him righteously.
"You've disappointed me. I don't even feel like fighting you," Cell said with a mocking smile, as if he were watching a dull farce.
"I have Saiyan cells inside me, so I know you can become even stronger. Let me draw out your full potential!"
Before you continue