BOOOOM!!!!!
Another colossal explosion erupted, completely erasing Cell's body once again.
This was already the fifth time Vegeta had crushed Cell into ashes.
And yet, that dark crystal core still refused to shatter in a single strike.
Even Vegeta was starting to feel irritated.
Cell's strength was undeniably still rising. After this latest resurrection, his power had climbed to the point where it could contend with Vegeta's Super Saiyan 2 head on.
Not just Vegeta. This timeline's Goku, Vegeta, and all the other Z Fighters wore grim expressions.
There was no doubt about it.
They had already killed Cell countless times, yet he still had not truly died.
This regeneration could no longer be described as healing. It was resurrection after death.
And the most terrifying part was this.
Every time Vegeta annihilated Cell, Cell returned even stronger.
"This will not work. If this continues, no matter how powerful that Vegeta is, there will eventually be a point where Cell surpasses him. That last time, you could already tell it was starting to strain him," Goku muttered.
He wanted to help, but at this level, their power was no more than that of ants. Charging in would only hold Vegeta back.
"Damn it… What is that power? How can it grant Cell an ability like this?" this timeline's Vegeta growled, fists clenched.
Cell had already been strong enough and hard enough to deal with. Now, with this unknown dark power backing him, he was practically unstoppable.
"As I see it, that Vegeta is testing something. Or rather, he is trying to destroy that core. He just did not expect it to be this difficult to break. He underestimated it," Piccolo said.
His words drew everyone's attention back to the crystal that never shattered alongside Cell's body.
At first, no one had paid it much attention. But after so many cycles, ignoring it would have been foolish.
"If even attacks like that cannot destroy it directly, then unless the core is shattered, Cell can revive endlessly. If only we had enough power to strike the core the moment his body is destroyed," Goku said quietly.
He assumed Vegeta was exhausting himself destroying Cell's body and could not follow up in time, completely unaware that Vegeta was deliberately testing the crystal's limits.
"I will do it," Gohan said suddenly, taking a deep breath, his expression resolute.
"Right now, I am the only one who can actually help Uncle Vegeta."
That was the truth.
Among everyone present, only Gohan possessed battle power in the hundreds of billions, barely enough to influence this battle.
No one replied.
But no one objected either.
High in the sky, Vegeta stared at Cell, who had reformed his body yet again. The killing intent in his eyes deepened.
"Heh heh heh. Your attacks are getting weaker and weaker, Vegeta. You have reached your limit," Cell sneered smugly.
"Someone who is barely clinging to life actually thinks he is qualified to talk to me like that?" Vegeta replied coldly.
"Cell, do you really think this is the end? No. This is only the beginning. You think I do not understand that core of yours? You think I do not know how you are getting stronger?"
Vegeta's words cut deep, twisting Cell's face with rage.
"It is laughable. You are merely absorbing fragments of my energy to boost yourself. That is all."
"So what if I am?" Cell roared, completely losing his composure.
"You are nothing but fuel for my evolution now. Even Super Saiyan 2 cannot stop me."
Cell spread his arms wide in a blatant provocation.
"Go on. Destroy me again if you can. Let us see if you can really kill me this time."
Seeing this, Vegeta's smile widened further.
This was not amusement.
It was the smile Vegeta wore when he was truly enraged. The kind that meant he was about to demonstrate the absolute and crushing gap between them.
Just as Vegeta had known from the beginning, so what if Cell grew stronger a few more times?
He could still suppress him.
Reaching this level already meant Cell was impressive.
But relying on dark power from the Demon Realm, forming this twisted crystal, was nothing more than a crooked shortcut.
A power that could be granted could also be taken away.
Cell was nothing more than a tool.
That crystal had clearly been planted inside him, meant to be harvested once he fully matured.
Cell was merely sewing wedding clothes for someone else.
Seeing Vegeta smile without speaking, Cell mistakenly believed his words had finally shaken him, perhaps even made him wary.
Just as Cell was about to boast again, Vegeta crushed what little pride he had left with a single sentence.
"Since you want me to blow you apart so badly, then I will do it again."
Vegeta raised his hand.
A highly condensed mass of energy gathered instantly.
It looked plain and unremarkable.
Yet it contained terrifying power.
Vegeta clenched his fist, and the energy seemed to vanish.
Then, as he opened his hand and casually tossed it forward, that power reappeared as a crystal-like sphere glowing with seven colors, shooting toward Cell.
This technique was none other than the ultimate move of the strongest warrior across dimensions.
Gogeta's Soul Punisher, also known as Stardust Breaker.
But Vegeta preferred to call it the Rainbow Egg.
To master this move, Vegeta had invested enormous effort, refining it through countless trials and realizations.
Facing this seemingly harmless attack, Cell arrogantly believed he could block it with his current strength.
But the instant the Rainbow Egg struck, the pain and destruction that erupted made both his body and soul tremble violently.
BOOOOM!!!!!
A horrifying explosion detonated from within Cell's body.
His seemingly indestructible form was blown apart into fragments once more.
But this time, it was different.
This was not merely an attack on the body.
It was an attack on the soul.
Cell was not dead, but inside the dark crystal, his soul screamed in agony. Even the crystal itself emitted an abnormal ripple.
Just as Vegeta suspected, soul-based attacks could not be absorbed by the dark crystal, and the damage they caused was far more direct.
"So Super Saiyan 2 alone really cannot destroy this core… In that case," Vegeta thought, about to continue.
Suddenly, a powerful ki surged upward from below, firing a Kamehameha straight at the crystal.
"You brat," Vegeta froze for a brief moment.
It was Gohan, attacking with everything he had.
In the past, Vegeta would have considered this unnecessary, or even interference.
But after meeting the future Gohan, he felt an inexplicable fondness toward this kid and did not blame him.
Gohan's Kamehameha roared forward.
Vegeta shook his head helplessly.
An attack exceeding one hundred billion in power was impressive, but at this level, against both him and Cell, it was merely decent.
Even striking the dark crystal directly, it would not be damaged.
Otherwise, Vegeta would have shattered it long ago.
When Gohan's Kamehameha finally dissipated and the crystal remained completely unscathed, Gohan stood frozen in place.
His ultimate attack, pushed beyond his limits, had done absolutely nothing.
~~~~~~
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