Feeling Like He Could Take on the World Again

The mighty aura appeared and vanished in an instant, all of it drawn back into Son Gohan's body. Like drifting clouds, it silently settled back into the mountain ravines, not revealing the slightest hint of its sharpness.

If Krillin, Yamcha, and Chiaotzu hadn't been inexplicably floating in the air, no one would have dared believe what had just happened.

"Gohan feels completely different from before, but I can't say what's changed." Krillin swallowed, still hovering in midair, having forgotten to come down.

"He seems... more mysterious. He doesn't feel like the Gohan we know," Yamcha said uncertainly.

"That aura was just... just too powerful!"

Chiaotzu stared in shock and uncertainty, then hurriedly flew down and perched on Tien Shinhan's shoulder.

"Sorry, sorry. I lost control of my ki for a moment, but it's fine now." Son Gohan waved apologetically to the three of them.

He had experienced what it was like to be on the verge of death and released half of his potential, barely grasping the essence of Mystic Gohan.

"He surpassed his limits once again, yet this isn't a Super Saiyan form." Vegeta looked astonished, with a hint of resentment.

"It's hard to believe. He looks no different, yet he has such incredible power," Son Goku said delightedly.

"Hmph. That's our Gohan." Piccolo looked pleased.

"Th-that's amazing."

Supreme Kai and Kibito both agreed that they were finally in the clear. There was a limit to how badly they could keep losing.

Cell stared in shock. That aura was clearly stronger than his own. "Impossible! I won't let the same thing happen again!"

"Let's begin the second half." Son Gohan smiled brightly and slowly walked forward.

Overwhelmed by the powerful aura, Cell stumbled back two steps. He felt utterly humiliated.

"I'll show you the full power of Super Perfect Cell!"

He unleashed a terrifying aura, using his roar to hide his fear as he charged forward.

Pure white flames suddenly erupted around Son Gohan. He thrust out a huge palm, blotting out the sky like an ancient demon god.

Cell remembered how he'd slapped Son Gohan flying earlier. Now Gohan wanted to even the score, but Cell wouldn't give him the chance. He raised his hand and slapped back with all his might.

"Bam!"

As if their positions had been reversed, Cell went flying, howling in pain. His entire arm had been twisted into a ragged knot.

"Pfft!"

With a ruthless look in his eyes, he tore off his injured arm. A new one sprouted from the stump in an instant, coated in sticky bodily fluids.

"Again!"

Cell couldn't accept defeat. He was Dr. Gero's most perfect creation, destined to rule the entire universe. How could he fall on a puny little planet like Earth?

He charged again and again, only to be sent flying in every direction. His body was battered and broken, green fluid streaming from him and splattering everywhere.

Son Gohan pulverized Cell's arrogant confidence, one punch at a time.

"Ahhhhhhh!!"

Cell rose like a madman, roaring as he struggled to his feet. He glared at Son Gohan with venomous hatred. "I won't let any of you get away! We'll all perish with Earth!"

After speaking, he raised his ki to its limit. The ground beneath his feet began to crack, and his body rapidly swelled like an inflating balloon.

"Hahahahaha! I'm about to self-destruct. You're all coming with me!"

"There's nothing you can do. You can only watch me blow up! If I take even a little damage now, I'll explode immediately!"

Cell's belly ballooned out, and the flesh on his face bulged into folds. His mouth was squeezed into a slit as he spoke indistinctly.

"Has that lunatic lost his mind?" Krillin stared at the scene in horror.

"Everyone, gather around me. Kibito, if things look bad, use Instant Transmission to take us to the Sacred World of the Kai," Supreme Kai ordered.

"What!?" Kibito was even more shocked to hear that than he had been to see Cell preparing to self-destruct.

Cell's body continued to swell bit by bit, and he was on the verge of reaching his limit.

"Why should I stop you from self-destructing?" Son Gohan spread his hands, a playful smile tugging at his lips.

Pure white ki surged around him, forming a sturdy energy shield around Cell's swollen body.

"What are you doing!?"

Cell looked like a balloon inflated to its limit. Terror filled his bloated face.

Son Gohan grinned, showing a row of white teeth. "You said you wanted to use your body to put on a fireworks show. Go ahead. Show us!"

Cell was consumed by resentment. What was the point of dying like this? But he had already lost control.

Boom!

There was no earth-shattering blast, only a muffled thud. Son Gohan's shield not only blocked the energy but trapped the sound inside as well.

Blinding white light shone like the sun. Cell blew himself to pieces, and in the confined space, the force of the explosion reached terrifying levels.

The energy, which should have run wild and been enough to destroy Earth, was all absorbed by the shield. But the shield had reached its limit too. It shattered piece by piece, turning into specks of light that drifted into the air and disappeared without a trace.

Then something bizarre happened. A tiny clump that had fallen to the ground slowly began to multiply and regenerate.

Cell, who had just exploded, suddenly reappeared on the ground.

"What happened? Am I still alive?"

Cell stared at his hands in disbelief. He could feel the energy within him surging more powerfully than before.

This was because he had Saiyan cells. After dying and coming back to life, his power had increased dramatically.

"Hahahahaha! Not only did I survive, I've become even stronger!"

"Son Gohan, I have you to thank for this. How should I show my gratitude?" Cell laughed cruelly.

"You never learn, do you? Do you think you can take me on again?" Son Gohan mocked him without holding back.

The Saiyans' passive ability to grow stronger after recovering from near-death experiences became less effective as their power increased.

Cell was already at Super Saiyan 3 level. His energy hadn't increased by much at all.

"Then let's find out!"

Madness gleamed in Cell's eyes as he gathered all his energy for his strongest attack.

A white beam as thick as a barrel shot out, carving deep trenches into the ground as it passed.

Son Gohan shook his head slightly. Rather than meet the attack head-on, he turned sideways and kicked forward, striking the edge of the beam precisely with the top of his foot.

"Bam!"

A thunderous boom erupted. The white beam suddenly bent at a ninety-degree angle and hurtled into the sky.

A world-shaking explosion sounded deep within the clouds, punching a perfectly round hole through the heavens. A vast vortex drifted slowly, its center revealing the black void of space.

Despair filled Cell's heart. He finally understood that no matter how hard he tried, he could never defeat the kid in front of him.

"Can't even grasp the difference in strength, yet you dare challenge Mystic Gohan? You don't have even one chance in ten thousand!"

Son Gohan's eyes shimmered with divine light as he stood with his hands behind his back, his clothes fluttering in the breeze.