Bringer of Death

Cell Saga - Part 7: Desperation and Futility

Cell Saga - Part 7: Desperation and Futility 

In the days Goku had spent training in the future, he'd sensed there was a higher level, something even more powerful than the Ascended form. Something in the back of his mind just insisted it was out there. It was only natural, after all; he was already well-acquainted with the varying levels of kaioken. It made sense there was a way to push the Ascended form even further. 

But he had held back. There was no use in over-exerting himself while he still had dramatic improvements to make at his current level. This form already strained his muscles dramatically; there was no reason to risk injury when getting back to his own time was so important. 

Now, surrounded by a swirl of furious golden light with the spectre of Cell's awful power just a few dozen yards away, Earth's hero strained to push himself beyond his limits. His muscles, already swollen with energy, grew until they rippled over each other. His biceps expanded; his thighs bulged. The muscles in his neck and forearms grew until his entire upper body seemed like nothing but a rippling mass of power. He had never felt so strong in his life-it was as if all the power that he felt when filling his punches with ki had been turned in actual muscular strength. It felt amazing, but he kept pushing higher and higher. His hair stood straighter and spread apart as pure energy pulsed around him. 

"Woah," Trunks muttered breathlessly. 

"He can win!" Gohan rejoiced. "Just look at him, he's the greatest...my dad!" 

"YAAAAAHHHH!" cried the hero of Earth. He wasn't satisfied yet, not until he had pushed himself as far as he could possibly go. 

Angry clouds gathered above him, shadowing a vortex of power greater than anyone had ever seen. The area immediately around Goku had been blown clean by the surging energy; the rest of the smoldering island shook violently. Trunks' long hair rippled violently in the wind, but not as much as the young Gohan's did. His messy hair fell most of the way down his back, though the energy of his Super Saiyan transformation kept it slightly more stiff. 18, still trapped in Cell's telekinetic field, could do nothing to brace herself against the rush of energy; her blonde hair whipped around her face. 

But both the half-Saiyans were completely focused on the transformation before them. Surely the other Z fighters were all sensing the same thing, presumably just as stunned. But who could blame them? It was just that insane. The roars of thunder, the earthquakes, the flashes of light were all nothing compared to the frightfulness of Goku himself. 

"HUAAAA!" Goku continued to scream, his voice seeming to carry for miles by the reverberations in his ki. 

"It's...so much power," Gohan slowly said, trembling a little bit. Even though it was his father, such intimidating force overwhelmed the young boy. 

"Amazing! Does Goku even have limits?" Trunks yelled over the howling wind, but was interrupted by a lightning strike that scorched the ground just in front of him. He hopped back defensively, realizing just how unnerving all this was. Even if it was Goku, it was still quite scary. 

Finally, with a long but brilliant flash of blinding light, the roar subsided. At first, Trunks and Gohan couldn't even look, but as the light faded they let their eyes fall onto the scene. The ground where Goku had been standing was now a hollow crater nearly a hundred yards across; the Ultra Super Saiyan hung in midair, energy arcing off his body in jagged lines. His hair floated in thick waves that pulsed with golden energy; his eyes were almost completely white.

"It's unreal," Piccolo muttered, staring at the floor of the ship. "There really is no denying it any more. The Super Saiyan form is just the tip of the iceberg. This...is something else entirely."