Ken calmly withdrew the projection from his staff.
"Ken, that was great!" Zeno-sama said, giving him a thumbs-up.
"Thank you," Ken replied with a nod.
"Looks like the Cell situation is wrapped up nicely," Merus said with a smile as he walked over.
"So… where are Ken and the Guard going to spar?" Bier asked eagerly. "If you fight here on Earth, one slip-up and the whole planet—or even the entire star galaxy—could collapse."
"Bier's right," Merus agreed. "We should change locations."
"Hey, Ken. What do you think?" Zeno-sama asked.
Ken considered it for a moment. "Let's go to the World of Void."
"Then the World of Void it is," Zeno-sama said without hesitation, looking a little excited.
Down on the ground, Kale had already returned to normal. She threw herself into Gohan's arms and hugged him tight.
Gohan: "…"
"Kale, don't squeeze me so hard… this is really embarrassing," Gohan said, face bright red.
"You kissed me," Kale pouted. "And now you want to shake me off?"
Gohan scratched his head, completely out of answers.
"I don't care," Kale said stubbornly. "From now on, I'm staying with you."
"Uh…" Gohan hesitated, scratching his head again. "But I still have a ton of homework I haven't finished…"
"Then I'll do homework with you," Kale said with a giggle.
"Really?" Gohan's eyes lit up, shocked and thrilled. "You'll actually do homework with me?"
Kale nodded hard.
Merus's ears twitched. The moment he heard that, he went blank.
Of course.
I finally raise a future God of Destruction, and Ken's people are already prying her away.
Krillin sighed deeply. "Is a kid's world really just homework?" As he spoke, he stepped forward and scooped Android 21 up in his arms.
Android 21 was still unconscious, not even close to waking up.
Krillin held her soft, warm body and felt like happiness had hit him out of nowhere.
Then he leaned in and took a quick sniff—and nearly threw up.
That smell was unreal.
Android 21, why do you stink this bad?
Wait… right.
Cell spit her out. Of course she'd smell like that.
I'm making her take a shower the second we're back.
Boom!
A thunderous explosion suddenly echoed from far away.
A powerful presence erupted in the distance, sending wave after wave of pressure rolling across the battlefield.
"That ki…" Vegeta's expression changed.
"Don't tell me…" Trunks muttered.
"Is Cell still alive?" Piccolo said, stunned.
Goku frowned hard.
Just then, a streak of burning energy shot straight toward Zeno-sama.
"Looking to die?" both Guards snarled at once, glaring at the incoming blast.
Pop!
The energy flare vanished instantly.
"Oh? Not bad," Cell's laughter drifted in from the distance.
Zeno-sama's face darkened. He didn't say a word.
Am I really that easy to bully?
"Zeno-sama, let me erase him," the Right Guard said, stepping forward and bowing. "It'll be a warm-up before I spar with Ken."
"Go," Zeno-sama said with a nod. Then he added, "Take it slow."
"Understood!" The Right Guard started walking forward—painfully slowly.
Zeno-sama: "…"
"I said take it slow," Zeno-sama snapped, "not walk slow."
The Right Guard blinked, then slightly picked up his pace.
"Wait," Ken suddenly said.
The Right Guard stopped and turned, glaring at Ken.
"Even if you hold back, letting you kill someone like that feels like you're doing him a favor," Ken said, thinking it over. "Why not send someone else?"
"That actually makes sense," Zeno-sama said, blinking thoughtfully. "He isn't worth my Guard doing it personally."
Right Guard: "…"
The Right Guard shot Ken another vicious look.
Always you. Always sticking your nose in.
Zeno-sama turned his head and waved at Jiren. "Hey, Merus's future Supreme Kai. You go."
Jiren: "…"
"Yes, Zeno-sama," Jiren answered immediately, stepping forward to bow.
"Jiren," Ken said, patting his broad shoulder lightly, "Cell tried to sneak-attack Zeno-sama. Make sure he dies properly."
"Understood," Jiren said, nodding quickly.
"Go on," Ken said, gesturing.
Jiren rose, jumped lightly, and floated toward Cell at an unhurried pace.
The moment Cell reappeared, everyone on Goku's side jolted.
Cell's entire body was wrapped in yellow-green light, like he was bathing in some strange power.
Crackle… crackle…
Lightning crawled over his skin, snapping and popping, filling the air like a harsh, violent chorus.
And his body was fully restored—nothing like the half-ruined state he'd been in before his explosion.
"How?" Yamcha's face kept changing. "Wasn't he sent into space to self-destruct?"
"Heh heh heh… didn't see that coming, did you?" Cell said smugly. "Let me explain. Inside my head, there's a small chunk of tissue. It's the core that everything else regenerates from. As long as that core isn't destroyed, I can rebuild my entire body." His grin widened. "And I got lucky. When I exploded, the core wasn't damaged. So I regenerated."
"That doesn't add up," Krillin said, holding Android 21 tighter like he was afraid Cell would snatch her back. "Goku blew off your upper body before, and you still regenerated. How?"
"Hmph. Nothing to explain," Cell said coldly. "If my upper body gets destroyed, my lower body can regenerate the rest just fine. Gohan got blown apart and still came back, didn't he? So he can regenerate too, right?"
Krillin fell silent.
"Gohan got regeneration from the Dragon Balls, didn't he?" Cell said with a smile. "Relax. I'm not interested in Gohan."
Kale snorted and stepped forward, placing herself in front of Gohan.
Snap!
Yellow-green light burst from her, lightning wrapping around her as she entered Legendary Super Saiyan Two.
"The best part is, even without Android 21, I can still become complete!" Cell laughed like he'd lost his mind. "Not just complete—I've got Kale's kind of absurd energy too!" His eyes gleamed. "Maybe that Saiyan 'near-death' trait is kicking in!"
Jiren landed nearby.
Cell kept laughing, talking to himself like he couldn't stop. "And I learned Goku's Instant Transmission too! That means I'm even more perfect now!" He spread his arms wide. "Android 21 didn't lie—today, I've become the true strongest being in the universe!"
"Hold on," Goku said, blinking. "A Supreme Kai used Instant Transmission to move you. So why did you learn mine?"
"Oh? So that guy was a Supreme Kai?" Cell muttered, thinking. "He wasn't impressive at all. When I exploded, I think I blew him up too… or maybe he just passed out." He shrugged. "Whatever. To be safe, after I kill all of you, I'll go back and settle the score. That idiot stuck his nose where it didn't belong."
"Can you answer my question?" Goku pressed.
Cell gave a contemptuous laugh. "Nothing special. That Supreme Kai's Instant Transmission was harder to grasp. I just had a breakthrough with yours instead. That's all."
"You're amazing," Goku said, genuinely impressed. "It took me a year to learn Instant Transmission!"
Cell snorted, then vanished.
He reappeared beside Kale so fast she didn't even register the movement.
Kale's eyes widened in shock.
How did his speed jump that much?
"No—Gohan-nii!" Kale's face changed as she realized what he was doing.
Cell was already in front of Gohan.
Gohan didn't panic. He immediately powered up into Super Saiyan Two and threw a punch.
Smack!
Cell lifted a hand and caught it effortlessly.
"That's it?" Cell sneered. "Aren't you supposed to be terrifying when you're angry, Gohan?"
He slapped Gohan aside.
Gohan went flying and crashed to the ground.
"Gohan-nii!" Kale exploded with rage. "You bastard! I'm your opponent! Come at me!"
Cell ignored her completely. He flicked his hand, sending an energy bullet straight at Gohan.
"No!" Kale's pupils shrank. She launched herself toward Gohan without hesitation.
As she moved, she saw Goku flying in too.
"Let me!" Kale shouted.
Goku: "…"
Kale threw herself over Gohan.
Boom!
The energy bullet slammed into Kale's arm, blasting up a cloud of dust.
Goku scratched his head helplessly.
You yelled "let me," just to get yourself hurt?
I was about to knock that blast away.
Something's wrong.
Cell's power has risen by a huge margin.
Before, Kale should've been able to block an attack like that easily.
Now she's injured.
That means this new form isn't a minor jump. It's a completely different tier.
Goku's expression turned grim, heavier than ever.
As the dust cleared, a massive crater had formed.
Kale lay draped over Gohan, both of them at the center of the impact.
"Damn… it hurts… damn… it hurts…" Kale hissed, grimacing.
"Kale!" Gohan quickly helped her up.
When she stood, one arm hung limp at her side—completely useless.
"I didn't expect an extra shield," Cell said smugly. "But that's exactly what I wanted." His smile sharpened. "The game's over. Now I'm killing all of you, one by one."
Jiren stepped forward.
"Done talking?" Jiren said coldly. "Then get ready to die."
"Oh?" Cell looked him up and down and laughed. "And who are you? Your eyes look like lightbulbs."
Jiren's expression didn't change.
"What? You want to challenge me?" Cell scoffed. "Do you even understand who I am now? I'm the strongest in the universe. Even if you're a god, I'll grind you into the ground."
"Uh… Jiren-san?" Kale blinked, turning toward him. "You're fighting him?"
Jiren nodded once. "I'll end him."
"Okay… but can you really do it?" Kale asked, still worried.
Jiren: "…"
"That Supreme Kai almost died earlier," Kale added sincerely. "Be careful, Jiren-san."
Jiren didn't know what to do with that.
Are you seriously comparing me to that weak Supreme Kai?
Even if I become a Supreme Kai one day, I'll be the strongest Supreme Kai in the universe.
My power will rival a God of Destruction.
One day I'll surpass them.
Jiren stayed silent and kept walking toward Cell.
"You're asking for it!" Cell snarled, throwing a punch straight at him.
Cell was certain he'd blow Jiren's head apart.
No—his whole body would explode.
For a moment, Cell almost felt sorry for him.
Then his fist landed.
Right on Jiren's nose.
Jiren didn't move.
Not even a step.
Cell's eyes nearly popped out of his skull as he stumbled backward in shock.
"T-This…" Cell stammered, completely rattled.
"That was your attack?" Jiren asked, smiling with pure contempt.
Cell's face twisted.
After a beat of stunned silence, he screamed, "Impossible! That was just me holding back! Take this one if you dare!"
Jiren said nothing.
"Aren't you scared?" Cell sneered.
"If you're going to hit me, then hit me," Jiren said flatly.
"You asked for it!" Cell laughed wildly. Yellow-green light flared around his fist. "I'm putting everything into this punch! Don't you dare dodge!"
He charged and drove his strongest punch straight into Jiren's chest.
Jiren lifted his chest slightly and let it land.
Crack!
A sharp sound rang out—bone breaking.
Cell's grin split wide.
So you finally stopped posturing?
I pierced your chest, didn't I?
Serves you right—
Wait.
Something's wrong.
Why does my hand hurt so much?
Cell looked down.
His wrist was shattered.
A wave of delayed pain hit him all at once.
"Aaaargh!" Cell screamed like he was being slaughtered.
"Hmph," Jiren said with a cold smile. "So that was your full power?"
Everyone on Goku's side stared in disbelief.
Vegeta's eyes were wide, shock written all over his face.
Who is this guy?
I can clearly sense it—Cell's ki is even stronger than Kale's now.
And this "Jiren" just stood there and took a direct hit… and Cell broke his own wrist.
If I hadn't seen it, I'd never believe it.
Vegeta smacked his own forehead as it clicked. He remembered who Jiren was.
"Kakarot," Vegeta said, turning to Goku, "you know this guy, don't you?"
"Who is he?" Goku asked. He'd been too far earlier to hear Kale say the name.
"I heard Kale call him Jiren," Vegeta grunted.
"Jiren?" Goku's expression changed.
"He's the future Supreme Kai who's supposed to match you, right?" Vegeta grinned, a little too pleased with himself.
After a short moment of shock, Goku's face filled with excitement. "He's amazing…"
Vegeta: "…"
"What is that look?" Vegeta snapped. "You're enjoying this?"
"You all saw it, right?" Yamcha shouted. "Cell punched him, and Cell's arm broke!"
Krillin and Tien both nodded, still stunned.
Piccolo's forehead was slick with sweat.
How can anyone be that strong?
That's the future Supreme Kai meant to match Goku?
Can Goku really beat him someday?
Kale stared too, dumbfounded.
"Huh? Jiren-san… you're that strong?" she blurted.
Jiren didn't bother responding.
You really didn't know?
"I thought my current form meant I'd surpassed you," Kale said awkwardly, scratching her head.
Gohan didn't know what to say.
At this point, it feels like our universe has completely lost.
No—wait.
Kale is a Saiyan from Universe 6.
That means I'm Universe 6 too now.
Gohan's thoughts spiraled for a second, even drifting into which "side" he belonged on.
"That's Jiren for you," Merus said with a proud smile.
"Mm," Zeno-sama nodded in satisfaction. "That was a great performance."
"Jiren is the future Supreme Kai I trained," Merus said, smiling broadly.
"He really is strong," Zeno-sama said, looking at Jiren again.
"Thank you, Zeno-sama," Merus replied. "He has the power. Next is systematic training to shape him into a proper Supreme Kai."
"Do it quickly," Zeno-sama ordered. "Replace Universe 7's Supreme Kai with him."
"Yes, Zeno-sama," Merus said, wiping sweat after he spoke.
Universe 7's Supreme Kai is really having a rough day.
Out of everyone you could've provoked, you provoked Zeno-sama.
I once heard the Grand Priest say Zeno-sama can be petty…
Today proves it.
Universe 7's Supreme Kai is going to suffer.
"Hey, Ken," Zeno-sama suddenly said.
"Zeno-sama," Ken replied, bowing.
"Start training that Supreme Kai into a mount," Zeno-sama said. "Move it up the schedule."
"Easy," Ken said, not objecting. "That's my specialty."
Majin Buu perked up, listening closely.
So we're finally training a new mount?
Does that mean I'm about to be free?
"Good," Zeno-sama said, pleased.
"If you let me keep Buu around to guide the Supreme Kai," Ken said with a grin, "the new mount will turn out even better."
Majin Buu's face lit up.
Ken, you're a good person.
If you save me this time, I'll repay you even if I have to work like a horse for you—
Wait.
I'm already being used as a horse.
Why would I go work like a horse somewhere else?
…Anyway, I'll repay you.
Zeno-sama looked at Majin Buu, hesitating. He didn't seem eager to give him up.
This is the little pony I raised myself.
And he's comfortable to ride.
"Buu can split off a clone," Ken suggested. "Let the clone stay with Zeno-sama. That way you'll have a transition period until the new mount is trained."
"A clone?" Zeno-sama blinked.
"Buu," Ken said, "once we're done here, cut off a piece of your body and make a clone. Let's see it."
Majin Buu nodded excitedly.
[End of chapter]
[100 Power Stones = Extra Chapter]
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