Bringer of Death

Tournament Saga - Part 13: Fire for a Dry Mouth

Tournament Saga - Part 13: Fire for a Dry Mouth

Gohan's scream reverberated through the arena with piercing volume, overawing everyone within earshot. Cell, the Z Fighters, the spectators—all were stunned, frozen in place.

"...Gohan..." mumbled Trunks, amazed. For a moment, his pain was forgotten, he could only gape at his friend's magnificent aura.

The ring was rumbling violently. Chunks of tile were beginning to break free, lifting off the surface into the air. The tears of pain and frustration that had marked his face evaporated instantly in the jagged waves of energy now surging up around him.

This was no longer Gohan, the boy—this was Gohan, the avenger. A single golden lock of hair hung down just beside his right eye, the rest of it stiff and angled straight up. His features were harder, sharper; he had the same menacing expression as Vegeta. The harshness in his face, scraped and bloodied, showed the visage of a true Saiyan warrior.

But his eyes, more than any other feature, showed the greatest change. The former innocence was gone; in its place was resolve and maturity. The green pupils that had once shown mercy and gentleness now burned with jade fury, intent on swift, vengeful destruction. Gohan had ascended—no, transcended. He was more than a Super Saiyan.

This transformation was not a mere shift in his power, a temporary powerup born of careful technique. This new energy was a complete replacement of his Super Saiyan power, a fundamental shift in his very being. It felt as though every prior transformation had taken place underwater, holding his breath, and he was only now reaching the surface and breathing freely for the first time.

He took a deep breath. This new energy felt like life itself, flowing around and through his injuries and perfecting his defenses. His pain was gone, the soreness and ache washed away by the resonance of power. He had never imagined that embracing this side of himself would feel so good. Why had he waited so long, hesitated so foolishly? His new ki zipped through his veins at incredible speed, faster and cleaner than ever before.

His senses were heightened, perfected. Everything around him moved as if in slow motion; he was able to take it all in at once without even trying. Even a single speck of rock hovering just in front of him was intricate and beautiful and awe-inspiring.

Gohan looked across the ring at Cell. The creature's eyes were narrowed—whether from surprise, fear, or excitement, the boy couldn't tell. But he could see the tiniest beads of sweat welling up on Cell's palms, the slightest telltale signs of weakness. Gohan could even hear Cell's heartbeat...it was quickening almost imperceptibly. Cell was unprepared, amazed, even overwhelmed. Though no one else would have noticed, it was completely obvious to the young Super Saiyan.

The green-skinned bio-android's back was still partly turned. He realized with some degree of embarrassment that his mouth was hanging open in surprise; he quickly closed it and set his jaw. This was, after all, exactly what he had wanted all along. A sly, manipulative look returned to his face. 'Finally, the runt is exhibiting the power I sensed before...perhaps, dare I say, even more than I had expected. Perfect.'

Straightening up, he turned around entirely and folded his arms smugly. "Well, Gohan. You've finally come out of your shell. And all it took was for me to end the life of one of my own juniors. My, you are an interesting one." He cast an appraising eye at the boy's defiant stance. "At last, the game can really get interesting."

Gohan lowered his brow angrily. "NO GAMES."

"Mmm?" the monster mused, raising an eyebrow. "You seem to be under the delusion, boy, that your little flash of energy has given you the right to disrespect me. I hope you realize just how fascinating that delusion is to me."