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As Vegeta and the others flew toward The Lookout, they were abruptly intercepted by none other than Cell.
Vegeta narrowed his eyes. This wasn't the same Cell he remembered. His skin was now a deep violet, but more than the color had changed, his power was different, sharper. More refined.
Even more alarming, he was using Instant Transmission.
Krillin, flying close behind, blurted out, "You've gotta be kidding me! Cell can use Instant Transmission now too?!"
With a smirk, Cell responded, "Surprised? Let's just say... I picked up a few tricks while sparring with Goku, in Hell."
His tone darkened with that last word, his grin twisting into a sneer.
Though Cell called it training, the reality was far from mutual. It had been beatdown after beatdown. Goku had relentlessly hammered him with Instant
Transmission-enhanced Kamehameha Waves, over and over again. And because Cell possessed Goku's cells, he eventually adapted. He learned Instant Transmission the hard way, through pain.
Now, for the first time, he had a chance to show off the fruits of that hellish experience, back on Earth.
"Training?" Vegeta snorted. "Don't make me laugh. Sounds like Kakarot wiped the floor with you."
The jab struck a nerve.
"Bastard!" Cell spat.
Vegeta just smirked, clearly enjoying how rattled Cell was. But this wasn't the time for banter. There were bigger priorities.
"Keep moving. I'll handle this clown," Vegeta ordered, turning slightly to address the rest of the Z Fighters.
The others nodded, until Cell cut them off cold.
"No one's going anywhere!" With that declaration, Cell's Ki flared violently. A massive, crackling aura erupted around him, bathing the sky in a blinding purple light. The sheer pressure of his energy made it hard for Krillin and the others to even keep their eyes open.
Without hesitation, Vegeta ascended, straight to Super Saiyan 2.
Then, he vanished.
A sonic boom cracked through the air as he launched himself at Cell. But Cell had changed more than expected. He was far stronger than before. Vegeta's fists slammed into him again and again, yet Cell didn't flinch.
It was just like seven years ago. That same crushing feeling of helplessness began to creep in.
"Is that supposed to hurt, Vegeta?" Cell taunted. "Because it feels like you're just giving me a massage."
But then, something shifted. Vegeta's aura roared, and his golden hair extended down to his waist. In an instant, he transformed into Super Saiyan 3.
BOOM!
A single punch, straight to Cell's face, sent him hurtling through the sky, crashing across the landscape for hundreds of meters.
The Z Fighters watched in shock.
Krillin's jaw dropped. "Super Saiyan 3?! No way… I thought only Goku reached that form!"
Tien snapped him back to reality. "Now's not the time to gawk. Let's move, hurry!"
Without another word, they bolted toward the Lookout. But just as they gained altitude, Cell reappeared in front of them in a flash.
"Going somewhere?" he said, towering above Krillin like a living nightmare.
BOOM BOOM BOOM!
A golden flash exploded behind Cell, and Vegeta's voice rang out: "Your fight is with me, Cell."
Cell turned, intrigued. "Fine by me. I'll kill you first. The rest can wait."
Tension ignited the air between them like static before a thunderstorm. A single glance, charged with fury and pride, and the skies themselves rippled with raw energy. In a blink, they clashed, too fast to follow, their figures lost in streaks of light.
Behind them, Krillin and the others didn't hesitate. They shot toward the Lookout at full speed.
The battle had begun, but this was only the beginning.
...
Before they could land, a strained, choking cry caught their attention.
The group quickly spotted Videl, pinned beneath a massive fallen tree. Her leg was bent at an unnatural angle, clearly broken. Thankfully, her martial arts training had toughened her body. A normal human would've been crushed.
Without a word, Tien raised his hand and hurled the tree aside with a burst of ki.
Videl gasped through clenched teeth but forced herself to speak, urgency overtaking the pain. "You're here looking for Mr. Popo, right?! He's been taken, into the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, by three really strange-looking guys!"
Yamcha stepped closer, voice calm. "Easy. Don't strain yourself. Can you describe them?"
Seeing how bad Videl's condition was, Krillin shot off toward Korin Tower, wasting no time. Videl described the attackers: tall, imposing, with armor like Frieza's forces... one of them enormous, one slender and cold-eyed, the other carrying a regal air.
Krillin returned just as she finished, and his eyes went wide. "Wait... are you saying Frieza, Cooler, and King Cold went into the Time Chamber?!"
The shock hit like a thunderclap. He nearly dropped the Senzu Beans as he fumbled through his pouch.
The Z Fighters, even those who had died before, had heard from King Kai about the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, a place where a year could pass inside for every day outside. It had been instrumental in the Cell Games era.
But now? The thought of those three tyrants training inside… with Mr. Popo taken hostage? That was a nightmare no one had prepared for.
Krillin knelt beside Videl, gently placing a bean in her hand. "Here. Eat this, you'll heal right away."
Just as she bit down, two flashes of light appeared ahead.
Everyone froze. Standing there were Goku and Piccolo.
"Goku?!" the group shouted in unison, their voices a mix of hope and disbelief.
Krillin rushed forward. "How did you two get here? Don't tell me, you beat Janemba already?!"
But Goku's expression wasn't one of triumph. His usual carefree grin was absent.
"I'm sorry, Krillin," He said softly.
"Piccolo and I failed. We couldn't defeat Janemba… I took a beating, but King Kai had Dende patch me up."
His voice grew heavy. "And if we had beaten Janemba, we should've gone back to the Other World, not wandered here."
Krillin's eyes widened. He suddenly understood what Goku was implying.
Tien stepped forward, brow furrowed. "Then… that means…"
Piccolo answered, voice low and grave: "Janemba is on Earth."
The air seemed to vanish from the Lookout. Everyone froze, stunned. Their worst fears had taken form.
"You've gotta be joking!" Krillin turned to Goku in disbelief. "Tell me you're kidding!"
But the look in Goku's eyes said it all, and then, as if the bad news couldn't get worse,
"Uh… Goku, there's something else," Krillin added reluctantly. "Frieza, Cooler, and King Cold… they're in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber."
Goku's face darkened further.
Without hesitation, his aura surged and his hair extended into the long golden mane of Super Saiyan 3. His power crackled in the air as he vanished, heading straight for the chamber.
But just as he appeared near its entrance, a ripple of Ki flared nearby as another figure emerged from thin air.
"Goku!" Came a voice dripping with smugness.
It was Cell. Having sensed Goku's energy, he'd used Instant Transmission to intercept him.
And not far behind him,
"You bastard! You escaped again!" Vegeta roared, charging straight at Cell in a blur of gold and fury.
But the moment he caught sight of Goku, Vegeta halted mid-strike. His eyes widened. He rubbed them, as if to confirm it wasn't an illusion. But there was no mistaking that energy, unmistakably, undeniably Kakarot.
"Kakarot..." Vegeta muttered. "You really have reached Super Saiyan 3."
Goku turned and grinned, though his eyes held a flicker of worry. "Vegeta! Long time no see! I didn't expect you to master Super Saiyan 3 too! That's amazing!"
Goku blinked beside Vegeta, throwing an arm around his shoulder with a cheeky grin.
"Hey, Vegeta! Hee hee!"
Vegeta immediately swatted Goku's arm away, glaring at him like he was a bad punchline. "Get off me, Kakarot! This isn't the time for games!"
Even as the words left his mouth, two blinding energy blasts ripped through the air, headed straight for them at near-impossible speed. Goku's playful grin vanished in an instant. His body tensed as he dropped into a defensive stance. Vegeta's eyes narrowed, both of them now fully alert.
From across the battlefield, Cell floated mid-air, rage pulsing in his eyes.
"HEY! Goku! Vegeta! You think I'm just gonna stand here and be ignored?!"
The fury in his voice was unmistakable. Before him stood the two Saiyans he hated more than anything. The one who killed him… and the one who humiliated him in Hell over and over again.
And now, they dared to laugh in his presence?
Fueled by fury, Cell disappeared in a flash, Instant Transmission, reappearing in front of them with his fist cocked back, aiming to drive it into their guts.
Goku could tell immediately, Cell wasn't the same.
His strength had changed.
Their bodies blurred into motion as they zipped through the sky, exchanging lightning-fast blows. Vegeta skidded to a halt midair and thrust a palm against Goku's back to stabilize him.
"Kakarot! This freak's gotten stronger, way stronger!"
Goku nodded, expression grim. "Yeah. I can feel it."
"There's more," He added. "I fought someone else recently... someone I couldn't beat."
Vegeta raised an eyebrow. "You mean Janemba?" he scoffed. "Hmph. If it were me, I'd have taken that blob down already."
Goku could feel Vegeta's power, it had definitely increased. Super Saiyan 3 was fully under his control now. But still... it wouldn't be enough. Not against Janemba, and definitely not with Frieza's gang training in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber.
They'd need something more.
"Vegeta, listen to me," Goku said, voice tight with urgency. "You've noticed it too, Cell's power is already past ours. Janemba's here. Frieza, Cooler, and King Cold are training inside the Time Chamber. If we don't do something now, Earth's finished."
Vegeta was silent. Goku saw his jaw tighten.
"I have a way for us to win. But you've got to trust me."
Vegeta's brow twitched.
[Frieza's in the Time Chamber... That could tip the scales. Damn it. Things are getting messy, fast.]
"Out with it already, Kakarot!"
Without hesitation, Goku raised his arms and struck a familiar pose in mid-air, fingers aligned, elbows out, legs angled.
"Fusion!" He shouted, demonstrating the movement. "We fuse, we combine our power into one! Together, we'll become a warrior far beyond anything Cell or Janemba can handle!"
"Just imagine it, us, as one! Nothing in this universe could stop us!"
But when he turned to get Vegeta's reply, he found only air.
Vegeta was already gone.
"Wait, what?! VEGETA?!"
Goku spun around just in time to see Vegeta streaking toward Cell, golden energy tearing across the sky like a thunderclap.
"You've got to be kidding me…" Goku muttered.
Vegeta didn't look back. His teeth clenched. "Tch. Fusion? Me? With him? Ridiculous. The proud prince of all Saiyans doesn't dance like a fool. I'd rather die."
Suddenly, Vegeta's aura exploded into a storm of lightning and gold. He rocketed at Cell with all his power unleashed, like a meteor made of fury.
But before he could land a blow, Cell was already there. Vegeta barely had time to react before a cold hand clamped down on his head. His eyes widened, Cell had appeared behind him without a trace of energy.
"Heh… Face it, Vegeta," Cell sneered. "You're no match for me anymore."
Before Vegeta could break free, a massive fist crashed straight into his face, slamming into his nose with brutal force. Blood sprayed into the air, streaking his armor and cape.
"BASTARD!!" Vegeta roared, staggered by the blow.
With a defiant shout, he ignited his aura. A blinding golden light surrounded him, sparks crackling at his fingertips as he drew both hands in front of his chest.
"FINAL FLASH!!"
A massive column of golden energy burst from Vegeta's hands, roaring toward Cell with devastating force. Cell, unfazed, casually placed a hand on his hip and raised the other. "Kamehameha!"
A blazing blue beam erupted from his palms. The two iconic attacks, Final Flash and Kamehameha, collided midair, shaking the heavens. The sheer force of the impact lit up the sky like a second sun. Energy spiraled outward, the collision point becoming a blinding mass of power.
But it quickly became clear, Cell's Kamehameha was overpowering Vegeta's Final Flash.
"Damn it!!" Vegeta grunted, sweat flying from his brow as he pushed harder, refusing to give ground.
Just then, a familiar voice appeared beside him.
"Vegeta! How's it going?" Goku called, flashing into place midair with his trademark grin. "Ready to fuse yet?!"
Without waiting for an answer, Goku cupped his hands and launched his own Kamehameha, syncing it with Vegeta's Final Flash to try to push back the tide.
"Bastard! Kakarot! Are you using my attack to boost yours?! Even if it kills me, I'll never fuse with you!"
Goku gave a half-smile, reading the tension. "Still the same ol' Vegeta."
But even with both Saiyans pushing their powers to the max, something changed.
Their golden manes shrank. A flash of light passed over them, and just like that, both Goku and Vegeta dropped from Super Saiyan 3 to Super Saiyan 2.
They'd burned through their energy too quickly.
Without the force behind them, Cell's Kamehameha tore through their combined attacks like a tidal wave consuming a spark.
"EVERYONE! RUN!!" Goku shouted to the people gathered on The Lookout.
Up above, the Z Fighters felt the overwhelming pressure descending toward them. Without hesitation, they scattered in all directions. Seeing they'd cleared out, Goku grabbed Vegeta's shoulder and vanished, Instant Transmission.
A second later,
BOOM!
Cell's massive Kamehameha struck the Lookout dead-on. The explosion rocked the skies. Pillars shattered, the platform cracked and collapsed, and the very atmosphere trembled under the assault.
The explosion's shockwave ripped through the air, engulfing the Hyperbolic Time Chamber.
When the smoke began to settle…
Three figures stepped out of the rubble.
"Who the hell destroyed this place?!" Cooler shouted, eyes burning with rage as he brushed debris off his armor.
Frieza followed, eyes narrowed and tail twitching. "Hmph. Clever, Vegeta. But blowing up the Time Chamber won't stop me."
But then… he paused. Frieza could feel Vegeta's energy in the distance, but couldn't see him. Instead, standing in front of them, partially lit by the smoke and glowing embers, was someone else entirely.
Cell.
Cell smirked, dusted himself off, and sneered. "Well, well. If it isn't the royal reject and his pet siblings."
Frieza glared at him. "Did you do this?" he asked coldly. "It sounds like you're itching to die."
Cell let out a mocking laugh. "What if I did? You planning to crown yourself king again, Frieza? How adorable."
Cooler clenched his fists. "Careful, freak. You're outnumbered."
Cell's smile widened. "And you're outclassed."
Meanwhile...
In a place neither Earth nor the Other World… Goku blinked, confused, glancing around at the unfamiliar floating realm.
"Wait... I was aiming for King Kai's planet. Where the heck are we?"
A calm voice answered from nearby. "Welcome, gentlemen. You've arrived in the Sacred World of the Kais."
Goku turned to see a robed figure floating serenely nearby.
His eyes widened. "Whoa... This is the Kaiōshin Realm?!"
(End of Chapter)
You can read ahead up to 60 chapters on my Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/darkshadow6395