"Aaaah!"
Goku was driven back relentlessly by the dark red energy sphere.
He braced both palms desperately against it.
His feet plowed two deep furrows through the ground as he kept sliding backward.
"Damn it, Cooler has gotten so strong." Goku swallowed the blood that had risen to his throat and fought back with all his might.
"Hmph!" Cooler snorted and thrust both hands forward. The energy sphere's power surged even more violently in an instant.
"N-no, I can't hold it back..." Veins bulged along Goku's arms, his face twisted, and his Ki began to drop. The battle had taken a sudden turn for the worse.
Without backup, he would probably be swallowed by the energy sphere.
Just then, seeing the danger, Son Gohan flashed into the battlefield.
"Dad, let me take over," Son Gohan said, bracing both hands against the energy sphere. The pressure on Goku immediately eased.
Without another word, Son Gohan instantly entered his full-power mystic state.
"G-Gohan, you can do it. Beat him..." Goku clutched his chest with his right hand, sweat pouring down his forehead as he looked at his son, gasping for breath.
"Yeah, I will." Son Gohan nodded, then let out a thunderous "Hah!" Silver-white energy surged around him as he began running across the ground, pushing Cooler's energy sphere with both hands.
"Oh? Son Gohan has arrived." Cooler's words carried a hint of deeper meaning as he watched Son Gohan run across the ground with the energy sphere.
Panting, Goku reverted from Super Saiyan 3 to his normal form, then slowly flew toward Piccolo and the others.
"Goku..." Piccolo moved to support him.
Goku waved him off with a wry smile. "No need, Piccolo. I can still manage."
On the battlefield, Son Gohan ran faster and faster, then kicked the energy sphere