PART FIVE: TWO GIANTS FACE-TO-FACE.

Chapter 24

Translated by Arcane Super Saiyan

Son Gohan had become powerful ... He had proven that Cell was outclassed with just the few blows he had landed on him. Cell had made the same mistake as Vegeta before him, allowing his opponent to excel ... only to be defeated.

Having failed with the Kamehameha, he powered up, increasing his strength, at the cost of his speed. Now he was making the same mistake Trunks had made during their confrontation prior to the Cell Games, but it was futile. Cell had no chance. Gohan's attacks were precise and powerful, causing him to stagger and almost lose consciousness.

Suddenly he felt a sharp pain throughout his entire body. He felt paralyzed; it was as if his innards were being torn apart. Eventually, he vomited ... someone.

“That's ... # 18! He vomited # 18!” cried Kulilin.

Son Gohan, with his superior Super Saiyan 2 aura, looked down at the cyborg who was lying in a pool of whitish digestive fluids, before once again setting his sights on his opponent, who was still writhing in pain. After several moments of pain, his body changed ... There he stood, frightened, in the form he had been in prior to absorbing # 18 once again... The very same form that "Super Vegeta" had outclassed. Now it was really over for Cell. Even without Gohan and Goku, Vegeta and Trunks could eliminate him. Perhaps even Piccolo could, after all no one knew how much he had improved from his training in the Room of Spirit and Time. The teenager had grown tired of this fight.

“Fighting you isn't of interest to me anymore. It's over for you”. Gohan sighed.

The green creature clenched his fists. He was furious. How? How could this kid have such power? How had he defeated him? It's not possible!

Cell cried out with all his might:

“You ... You'll pay dearly for this!”

Cell focused all of his ki within his own body. Within seconds, he had doubled, even tripled in volume, swelling up like a giant balloon.

Once he reached his maximum volume, Cell laughed strangely, telling Gohan:

“It's over! In one minute I'll explode! I won't die alone… I'll take the entire planet with me!”

“H...how?” Gohan wondered how he could have let this happen.

“Heh heh! …and don't bother begging me to stop, because I can't!”

“I won't let you do this!” cried the boy, warning Cell.

“Oops! I don't recommend you attack me! The slightest shock may cause me to blow myself up prematurely! Heh heh heh! Only thirty seconds left!”

Son Gohan was distraught ... What do I do? He'll destroy everything...

“— Twenty seconds!”

"I didn't consider all the risks! Dad was right!"

“D...dammit!” said the young man as he fell to his knees, pounding the ground with his fists, leaving marks on the ground. “This is... It's my fault! I should have ended it right away!”

“Ten seconds!” Cell cried, overjoyed to have won even if he’d die.”

His death would be beautiful. He had lived his dream to have the perfect body, to defeat Goku, and even his son who had surpassed him. And all the terror he had inspired! What a joy it had been!

The monster continued to boast...

“It's a draw, but I am very satisfied by the look of fear on all of your faces! Ha ha ha!”

Cell suddenly stopped laughing. Between him and Son Gohan, Goku had appeared.

“Eh?” he said with surprise as Goku put a hand on his swollen belly.

“Good job Gohan! You were great!”

“Da...Dad?

“Tell your mother I'm sorry I had to leave...”

With these words, Son Goku teleported along with Cell ... Saving the Earth and his friends ... They reappeared on a small green planet, populated by just a small blue god and his monkey.

“Sorry Kaiou-sama, but I had no other choice”. Goku had not been able to say anything else when Cell exploded with a scream of despair...

Son Goku apologized profusely to Kaiou-sama. Because of him, he was dead, as well as Bubbles. As they were flying towards Enma's place, Son Goku wondered:

“I don't see Cell's spirit, was he sent straight to hell?”

Kaiou-sama stopped suddenly.

“You're right ... He isn't here! Yet everyone must see Enma after death!”

“What does this mean?” asked Son Goku, as he began to wonder. Then he came to a realization that made him shudder.

“This means Cell isn't dead! He's still alive!”

“H ... how?

On Earth, everyone gathered around Gohan mourning. Kulilin approached the cyborg, # 18, picking her up. Vegeta asked:

“What are you doing with that cyborg? If she's still alive, then kill her!”

“No!” replied Kulilin, “She isn't so bad...”

Suddenly, a violent wind pushed back the whole group, surrounding them in a dust storm. At the origin, there was an aura of evil, a powerful aura surrounded by blue lightning. No one saw who it belonged to, but they knew this ki all too well.

“This ... this aura is...” Vegeta began.

“No..!” Trunks said, frightened.

“It's not possible”, Piccolo said through gritted teeth.

Yet it had happened. The creature stretched out his arm, pointing a finger. A thin beam shot out violently toward the group. It went past Piccolo, Vegeta, and Gohan, nearly hitting Tenshinhan and finally ... it struck and pierced through Trunks, who fell to the ground heavily.

“Hahaha! Who's the lucky winner?” asked the monster. “Oh? It's Trunks?”

Everyone turned to the familiar voice. The smoke cleared and there he was, Perfect Cell. His terrifying ki was even greater than before and his body was covered with an aura much like that of Gohan as a Super Saiyan 2.

“How? How'd he do it?” asked Yamcha.

Cell explained: he had also been just as surprised as them. As his original nucleus from which he came from had not been destroyed, he was able to regenerate himself, like Piccolo. And due to his Saiyan cells, he came back even stronger since he had recovered from what should have been a fatal injury.

“Additionally”, he continued, “I am now able to use the instant transmission like Son Goku. In short, I'm back with an even more perfect body than before! Not only did Son Goku fail to kill me, but he left me with some great gifts!”

Son Gohan, who had powered down into a normal Super Saiyan, stood up, using his anger to once again exceed that level. His hair stood up on his head once more and lightning surrounded his body. He smiled.

“Eh? What's so funny? Have you gone mad?” asked Cell.

“I'm just happy to have the chance to avenge my father who died because of my own arrogance. I'm just dying to crush you!”

“Ptui!”, Cell spat, “Don't be so sure of yourself... It will not be so easy this time”.

Vegeta, who had been behind Gohan, had turned to see him transform. But his eyes looked back at Yamcha and Tenshinhan who were tending to Trunks. The poor boy, his chest had been pierced and he had taken his last breath.

“T...Trunks...”

He exploded with anger, thinking of the losses they had suffered. He thought of Kakarotto, who had sacrificed himself, and his only son, who lost his life without a chance to defend himself. It would not be a kid who would deal with Cell, but him, the prince of the Saiyans! Screaming, he rushed toward Cell, who had been surprised by this reaction. He transformed into a Super Saiyan, and launched a Kikoha with all his might toward the green creature. He continued launching more bursts of golden energy without regard for his own safety. Drawing from his anger, he harnessed an enormous strength.

He stopped after several tens of seconds, exhausted ... He breathed a while ... until Cell appeared before him in an instant, with no visible damage. Striking him with the back of his arm, Cell sent Vegeta crashing to the ground. Barely conscious and Super Saiyan, but no longer could he move. He would not be able to avoid Cell's next attack.

“Die, Vegeta!”

Dr. Gero's monster cried as he threw a ball of energy at the Prince of Saiyans. Son Gohan hurried to try and rescue Vegeta, but he was too late, he hadn't been fast enough: the attack hit the teenager on his left side, exploding on impact.

When the smoke cleared, Gohan was injured, lying on Vegeta who still could not move. The young Super Saiyan stood up slowly in pain, noticing that he could barely move his arm and left leg. But he kept his sights on Cell...as he rose.

“We've played around enough, I'm going to end this now”, Cell said, assuming the stance for the Kamehameha.

Son Gohan was in disbelief. Piccolo, terrified by what was going on, asked Kulilin if they had any senzu left. Unfortunately, they had already used them all after their battle against the Cell Juniors. The Namek winced. Gohan would have to deal with this alone, wounded, against this super Perfect Cell...

“The time has come”, continued Cell. “You're going to die along with your entire planet!”

Cell's ki increased. It was even more impressive than before. Behind Gohan, Vegeta began to crawl away.

“What a disgrace! I became nothing but a burden for you. I'm sorry, Gohan.”

This surprised him. If Vegeta apologized ... then he must have really thought they had no chance ... Furthermore, Piccolo cried, furious at being so powerless.

“So?” Cell said, proud of himself. “I have a power capable of destroying not only the Earth but the entire solar system! Come Gohan, show me your strength!”

Gohan had seemed to have admitted defeat, sure that his enemy would finish him off this time, when Cell noticed the young boy talking to himself. After a few seconds he saw that the young man had found some determination. Focusing his ki, he prepared his Kamehameha with only one hand.

“Die!” Cell cried as he launched his attack toward Gohan.

The two Kamehameha Waves clashed, forming a giant ball of light that made the earth tremble... Both attacks were initially of equal strength. But gradually, the teenage Super Saiyan was weakening.

“Cell has the upper hand!” Piccolo cried. “Dammit!”

“It's over for you!” Cell cried. “I'll finish you off!”

Through Kaiou-sama, Gohan's father tried to support him, hoping to give him the strength and courage to defeat Cell, but the boy fell to his knees.

“I can't ... go any further ... sorry Dad, I can't do it, it's too much for me”.

“No Gohan!” his father cried. “You can do it! You can defeat him! You have to believe in yourself and draw out all of your power!”

But, Gohan was exhausted; he couldn't even maintain the level of Super Saiyan 2. Cell shouted one last time triumphantly:

“Farewell Gohan! Give your father my regards!”

Before the eyes of his friends, Gohan was blown away by the power of Cell's Kamehameha, which killed him before he literally disintegrated. When the attack faded, the dust eventually dispersed into the air. There was absolutely nothing left of Gohan's body. Cell had won the Cell Games, which he himself had convened. Cell observed the crater left by his attack with pride. His opponent was gone and now nothing could oppose him, aside from a few humans and a Namek who were still shocked to have lost everything in a split second. But they certainly did not pose any real threat to him.

Kulilin fell to his knees. Near him, Tenshinhan and Yamcha were barely standing. Piccolo had just lost the person who mattered most to him. He felt distraught. He knew he was soon to disappear. He who had once protected the planet as Kami-sama ... And Dende? He had just been appointed God of the Earth...just a few days ago.

And Son Gohan? His father had believed in him, and this was the result! The fools! They brought a child to be slaughtered!

“It's over”, he said, his eyes wide with horror.