PART NINE : THE TERRIFYING POWER OF THE LEGENDARY SUPER SAIYAN!!

Chapter 41

Translated by Davidstarlingm

Broly dreamed. Since destroying everything in his universe, he was motionless in space, frozen and condemned to live forever. He had miraculously survived his battle with Gohan and Vegeta by avoiding the sun, and returned for vengeance…only to be left alone in an empty universe. He became stronger with every moment that passed. Nothing changed – and nothing was all he knew. His universe was as empty as his heart.

Broly dreamed of chaos, destruction, and death. He desperately wanted to wake up, to destroy everything around him. He longed to savor again the cries of terror. Slowly, as if his dream was fading into reality, he began to feel something…a growing warmth. How long had it been since he had felt even the slightest heat? That feeling comforted him now, gently pulling him from this endless dream…Broly felt new energy building, another chance to live – to destroy. He felt born again. Once the warmth filled him, his icy prison would disappear and he could again wreak carnage and destruction…

In the space reserved for Universe 18, Trunks and Goten remained in the arena, as did Trunks from Universe 12. Goku and the others waited for Broly to be awakened, wondering what consequences would follow from the resurrection of the Legendary Super Saiyan.

“If Broly’s power kept growing like we saw…even Vegetto won’t be able to do a thing,” said Son Goku as they watched Broly’s glacial prison, surrounded by Nameks and Vargas.

“If he is alive,” added Vegeta.

The Prince of Saiyans didn’t believe that the monster had survived…not that he wouldn’t fight if necessary, but he felt a little concern for the others, who would be easily slaughtered.

“Once all the audience is dead, do you think they’ll continue the tournament?” wondered Goku, as if he had no doubt of Broly’s victory.

“The children will die too.” Vegeta stood with his arms crossed. “I’m not kidding,” he added after Trunks and Goten protested.

It was true that being considered children was annoying…but they remembered the beating they had taken. The nightmares had lasted for so long. Since growing up, they were stronger and could use fusion…but facing Broly again was more terrifying than fighting Majin Buu.

“Bra, Pan, Videl…and anyone who wants to, go into the spectator’s bleachers,” Son Goku advised, pointing toward the exit.

“It’s protected by an anti-energy field,” added Gohan. “You won’t see very much up there, but you will be safer.”

“We won’t see a thing if we can’t follow the energies!” protested Pan.

“End of discussion!” Gohan wouldn’t budge.

Videl put a hand on her daughter’s shoulder, hoping she would understand that her father was right. Bowing her head, the girl began to follow Bra toward the exit. Gohan quickly caught up to Videl and gave her his glasses. After a quick embrace, he joined those who still remained.

“You’re staying?” Goku asked Vegeta.

“Do I look like I’m moving?” his friend and rival replied curtly.

Behind them, Gohan and Piccolo stood motionless. The latter glanced at the space of Universe 16. Unlike here, Trunks, Goten, and Bra remained in the open.

From the bleachers, Uub noticed that U16’s Bra hadn’t left. The latter felt his stare and turned to look at the young man…who turned away, embarrassed. In fact, out of everyone in U16, only Videl went to wait in the stands.

In the space of Universe 13, the four Saiyans talked amongst themselves.

“We’ll finally see those two mysteries in action,” said Raditz.

“Yeah, right! The guy in the ice cube will never wake up!” contradicted Nappa.

“This Vegetto seems really over-confident,” Vegeta said, despite having no real evidence to support his claims.

“He’s got that foolish look, like he has nothing to worry about,” added Kakarotto, his hands on his hips.

“The locks on his forehead are ugly.”

“And on the back! Ridiculous spiky hair!”

“He looks like nothing.”

“Nothing good, anyway,” Kakarotto concluded, ending the discussion.

Aside from Universes 16 and 18, and Trunks from Universe 12, no other participants knew Broly. Unaware of the danger, they all waited for the next fight. The participants from Universe 19 noticed that the people in the space next door had left, but they paid it no attention.

At their right, a Namek continued to heat the surface of the ice. Suddenly, it shattered with a loud crack! The Namek recoiled instantly, surprised, and stepped aside to allow one of the Vargas to determine whether the warrior inside was dead or alive. He lifted one hand and closed his eyes…he felt something!

“I sense a pulse! He is alive!” he said, smiling at the knowledge that the warrior he found would be able to compete.

He had no chance to enjoy his success. In the split second that followed, the ice beside him exploded. A huge hand burst out and caught the Varga by the throat, forcing a single terrified “QUACK!” to the horror of the Vargas and Nameks standing around.

For two brief seconds, the Varga hung imprisoned by the powerful grip of the monster. The murderer’s mad, white eyes stared at him as the ice continued to shatter. He could wait for a moment to strangle this common insect, after all.

“It’s starting!” declared Goku, tensing his muscles in preparation. Vegeta uncrossed his arms and clenched his fists.

Broly had only been conscious for a few seconds and already someone was dead. Or at least seriously injured. Nobody really had the time to check and see whether the victim was still breathing…

Broly yelled, raising his fists above his head as a sickly green aura appeared around him. No-one had ever felt energy so powerful and so large – the aura extended at least ten meters in every direction! The spectators behind him were blinded, and the Vargas and Nameks in the space of Universe 20 were thrown in every direction. Dust raised by his aura obscured him from the view of most of the participants…but Broly’s ki had already begun to rise…

“His power is huge!” cried Goten from Universe 16.

“Even after waking up from hibernation!” added Piccolo, who could barely believe his eyes.

It was so much higher than the time that the monster had appeared on Earth, twenty years before.

Vegetto merely smiled. He was glad to see this force; he wanted more than anything to measure himself against the Legendary Super Saiyan. All was going just as he had expected…

In the space for Universe 12, Trunks and #16 were surprised to see such tremendous power. Trunks had told the android about the monster – how he had fought against the legendary warrior next to Goku and his friends on New Planet Vegeta. But this was far beyond his memories or imagination. Cell, in his space, immediately realized that this was an unusual Saiyan. He couldn’t explain it, but he suddenly felt a very human sense of fear run up his spine…he hadn’t felt such a sensation since Super Saiyan 2 Gohan had put him on the ground in only two punches: one to the stomach and an uppercut to the chin. In the space of Universe 8, Kiwi wondered just how strong the unknown warrior was.

“A perfect opportunity to test my newly modified scouter, heh!” he murmured with a smile.

BOOM!

“Oh…bad idea.” The scouter had exploded instantly – fortunately, he was unhurt. The nano-warriors of Universe 19 wondered the same thing. But their built-in scouters also failed to give an accurate reading – they simply displayed an error.

“Damn!” one of the warriors grumbled.

“Are you getting anything, Eleim?” asked one of his friends.

“Nothing but an error message – SW66H2G2 – on my scouter! Shit!”

“I’m getting the same reading. Classic. I think our armor was made by a subcontractor,” joked Xeniloum.

“I don’t think that our advanced laboratory scientists would be very happy to hear you talk about them like that! You’ve saved many lives with your equipment, I believe,” interjected a third warrior.

“Ah, whatever – excuse me for being a little nervous in the face of such an incredible phenomenon!”

Broly stopped roaring and glanced to one side. There, a Varga and a Namek lay wounded.

“He must be stopped!” cried the little Varga, hoping someone would activate the device and make the monster disappear.

Broly smiled, then flung energy blasts around him in every direction. They exploded at the slightest touch of the floor and shields protecting the spectators. The attacks seemed completely random, flying in all directions.

Space 2 was filled with explosions – the most mature of them suddenly realized the risk they were facing. When one of the balls of energy exploded nearby, they all retreated inside. Next to them the gods of Universe 1 stayed put, South Kaioshin standing in front to divert the balls of energy, since he was the strongest physically.

Goku knew that Broly would attack him immediately the moment he showed himself…so he hung back, letting Gohan deflect the attacks that entered their space. Vegeta remained motionless. As Gohan blocked a pair of blasts, he glanced over and saw his counterpart from Universe 16. It was startling, and yet humorous at the same time – he briefly wondered how interesting it would be like to fight a clone of himself, someone who thought in the exact same way.

Both Gohans thought the same thing – with their strength, perhaps the two of them could match Broly together? But now was not the time to test it. Vegetto was fighting – one of them, at least, was sure his father could take care of it. The other hesitated, still ready to help if necessary.

Below and between them, Cell stayed motionless while several explosions erupted around him. His single Cell Junior seemed very careful to avoid taking a hit, though. In the 6th space, Bojack stood without moving despite his apprehension. The girls in that universe took refuge at the entrance of their space, dodging stray blasts and screaming insults at the wild warrior from Universe 20.

Also among the handful of warriors who feared nothing was the Namek from Universe 7. One of Broly’s attacks came straight at him, but he merely lifted one hand to catch it. Unlike the others, it didn’t explode on contact; he sent it far above him, where it exploded in space without harming anyone.

Two people from two different worlds, each wielding a sword, moved almost in unison. As the attacks flew toward them, they drew their weapons and sliced them in two. Both Tapion of Universe 3 and Trunks of Universe 12 were well-protected; they repeated the defensive motions with each attack. Just next to Universe 12, Kakarotto grinned as he punted the energy ball straight up. In Universe 9, Kulilin shielded himself with his shell while the others easily dodged the energy balls and then retreated inside.

As Broly’s powerful attacks continued to rain down around the stadium, several referees were struck and killed instantly. Others fled, never to return – this tournament had become too dangerous for their tastes!

It was too much. In the tournament control room, a decision was quickly made:

“He is totally mad!” exclaimed one of the Vargas. “I’m sending him back!”

He pressed the red button programmed to send Broly back to his universe…but it did not work. There was a short circuit somewhere…yet these were high-quality electronics, well able to resist energy flux! The highest technology! Even after thousands of years of progress, these things still didn’t work…

Everyone had now become well-acquainted with Broly, the Legendary Super Saiyan that only appears once every thousand years. No-one knew – except, perhaps, Vegetto – that it was another very dangerous fighter who had kept Broly there, using magic to short-circuit the system:

“He he. It would be such a shame if this fight couldn’t happen,” thought Buu in Universe 4, “because of a birdie who’s too worried about the security of his arena.”

Buu smiled, waiting for the events that would follow. He wondered how Vegetto and Broly would react. Above all, he wanted to know who was more powerful – the fused Saiyan, or the warrior who would only arise every thousand years...