On a tall mountain not far from Cell's arena, a cameraman lay flat on his stomach with the camera aimed at the ring below. Beside him, a middle-aged commentator gripped a microphone and delivered a live broadcast.
"We've got a little over twenty minutes until the Cell Games begin—the fight that decides Earth's fate," he announced. "Maybe everyone's afraid of getting caught up in it, because there isn't a single spectator anywhere near here. Cell's just standing at the center of the ring, not moving at all, and our hero, Mr. Satan, still hasn't shown his face."
He'd barely finished speaking when his eyes widened.
"Huh? That weird mount!" he blurted, then leaned forward, voice rising with excitement. "And on its back… it's Mr. Satan! And he's brought some kind of strange backup with him!"
The camera zoomed in, revealing an absurd sight: Majin Buu trotting along with Zeno-sama and Mr. Satan riding together.
If Ken had seen that shot, he would've been genuinely surprised. For Mr. Satan, this was probably the peak of his entire life—sharing a ride with Zeno-sama.
Ken hadn't used his staff to check on what Zeno-sama was doing lately. Spying like that would've been rude.
On either side of Zeno-sama, two guards stayed glued to him, never more than a step away.
"Whoa!" Zeno-sama suddenly yanked the reins.
Buu dug in all four legs and stopped so fast the ground practically shuddered. Mr. Satan lost his balance and toppled forward, pinning Zeno-sama beneath him.
The guards instantly shot Mr. Satan a pair of murderous glares.
Buu froze, blinking.
Did I stop too hard? he thought. Is Mr. Satan about to get erased?
He craned his neck to peek at Zeno-sama's expression.
Zeno-sama looked the same as always—blank, unreadable, like nothing in the universe could surprise him.
Buu hurriedly twisted Mr. Satan's thigh.
Mr. Satan got the message instantly. "Ah—sorry! Are you okay?" he blurted, scrambling up in a panic.
"It's fine," Zeno-sama said, waving it off like it didn't matter.
Buu finally let out the breath he'd been holding.
A moment later, Mr. Satan stepped down from Buu with forced calm, spotted a distant camera, and thrust his fist high into the air.
"It really is Mr. Satan! He's finally here!" the commentator shouted, practically vibrating with excitement. "He's raising his fist to the camera—answering the world's hopes with the confidence of a true champion!"
"Mr. Satan! Mr. Satan! Mr. Satan!" the crowd's cheers thundered from televisions everywhere.
Cell turned his head, looking from Mr. Satan to Buu, to Zeno-sama, and then to the two guards. For once, even Cell looked mildly confused.
What is this lineup supposed to be?
"Go around," Zeno-sama said, patting Buu's backside like he was giving a simple instruction.
Buu obeyed at once, circling the ring while the guards continued shadowing Zeno-sama step for step.
Mr. Satan glanced toward Zeno-sama, then fixed his gaze on Cell. After a few seconds of wrestling with himself, he made a dramatic decision: he pointed at Cell, turned his thumb downward, and flashed a smug grin for the cameras.
With the greatest god in all creation backing me up, he thought, this is the perfect moment to look like the real hero.
The commentator ate it up immediately. "Ah! Mr. Satan has declared victory before the battle even begins! As expected of the world champion! Even the arrogant Cell can't hide his fear in front of Earth's bravest man!"
Cell's eyelid twitched.
Nice mouth on that guy, he thought. I'll swat him later.
And who is this idiot? Whatever. Not worth my time.
"Fifteen minutes until the Cell Games!" the commentator continued. "Cell versus Mr. Satan—if you ask me, Mr. Satan has the edge!"
Mr. Satan planted his hands on his hips, stood tall, and smiled at Cell as if he'd already won.
Cell refused to even look at him.
If I acknowledge you, I lose.
"Hey, Cell!" Mr. Satan shouted. He glanced toward Zeno-sama strolling in the distance, then lowered his voice and leaned in like he was sharing a secret. "Do you know who that is?"
Cell didn't react.
"I'll tell you," Mr. Satan whispered. "That's Zeno-sama—the Omni-King himself. The greatest god in the entire multiverse."
Cell finally flicked his eyes toward Mr. Satan, expression flat.
If Goku said that, maybe I'd consider it. Coming from you? Not a chance.
"I'm serious—don't act like you don't believe me," Mr. Satan insisted, huffing. "They say if Zeno-sama just waves his hand, an entire universe disappears."
Cell stared at him, unimpressed.
A wave and a universe vanishes? Sure. Keep talking.
"I'm telling you, when we fight, just… play along," Mr. Satan said, trying to sound helpful. "Lose gracefully. Apologize to Zeno-sama. If you turn over a new leaf, you might even survive."
Cell stayed silent.
If I answer you, I'm giving you dignity. I'm not doing that.
And even if the greatest god really exists, Cell thought, once I absorb the Legendary Super Saiyan's cells, I'll be the strongest in the universe. Then even the greatest god will be beneath my heel.
"Only twelve minutes left!" the commentator announced from the mountain. "Mr. Satan is about to step into the ring!"
Mr. Satan puffed up. "I'm coming up there now! Do me a favor and give me some respect—just take the loss properly, okay? You hear me, Cell?"
Cell still didn't respond.
Mr. Satan mistook the silence for agreement. With Zeno-sama backing me, he thought, what do I have to be afraid of? If I don't show off now, I'll never get a chance like this again.
He strode onto the ring in his white cape, looking every bit the champion he wanted the world to see, a confident smile tugging at his mouth.
"Mr. Satan really is Earth's most reliable man!" the commentator cried, moved almost to tears. "And as for his backup… ah! They've stopped on a nearby mountain! Wait—did they set up a table? There's tea on it! Are they here to picnic?"
The camera pulled to a distant hilltop for a close-up: Zeno-sama had placed a table there and sat on a lavish throne, sipping tea in small, satisfied sips. With his other hand, he casually patted Buu's head.
Buu's face went stiff. Am I a dog now?
The two guards stood on either side of Zeno-sama like statues.
"This spot is good," Zeno-sama said, pleased. "I can see the ring perfectly."
Mr. Satan stared toward the hilltop, baffled.
Why are they so far away? he thought. How am I supposed to fight like this?
Then he swallowed the panic. I fed and entertained you this whole time. If things get dangerous, you'll help me, right?
Right.
He made up his mind and crooked a finger at the commentator and cameraman on the mountain, signaling them to come down.
"He's calling us!" the commentator said, startled. "Does he want us closer?"
Mr. Satan nodded lightly, still smiling.
The commentator hesitated, fear creeping in. Then he straightened up like he'd just remembered he had a job to do.
The cameraman glanced at him, impressed despite himself.
"I get it. We're going!" the commentator declared with sudden righteousness. "We're not cowards! Let the world see our courage! Besides—Mr. Satan is down there!"
He and the cameraman sprinted down the mountain.
"Ladies and gentlemen, witness this moment of pure tension!" the commentator said, carefully choosing each step. "The world's bravest commentator is now approaching the battlefield that decides Earth's fate!"
"And the cameraman," the cameraman added.
"Yes—also our fearless cameraman," the commentator corrected, shooting him a look.
They reached the ring's edge and looked up at Mr. Satan.
"Mr. Satan, can I come up there?" the commentator asked.
"With me here, you've got nothing to worry about," Mr. Satan said, thumping his chest like a heroic promise.
The commentator exhaled in relief and climbed onto the ring.
"Tell us how you're feeling," he said, raising the microphone.
"That pathetic Cell has no idea a warrior like me exists!" Mr. Satan declared, pointing straight at Cell. "He ran his mouth for days, and now it's too late to regret it! Cell, listen up! I saw right through your scheme. When the army bombarded you, you were using some kind of advanced projection to make a clone, weren't you?"
Cell didn't even blink.
Where did they dig up this clown?
"He's pretending he didn't hear you," the commentator whispered.
Mr. Satan smirked. "Exactly. I nailed it. He's acting calm, but inside he's panicking."
The cameraman pulled a silly face at Cell. "What a shameless guy!"
"I'll scare him to death with a few blasts," Mr. Satan said, turning his backside toward Cell, patting himself for emphasis—and letting out several loud farts.
The commentator went rigid.
"There's wind…" he muttered, face twisting as the smell hit him full on. "Mr. Satan… did you eat garlic last night?"
Mr. Satan's smile twitched.
"Huh? What's that?" the commentator suddenly blurted, looking up.
A streak of golden light shot toward them at high speed.
Mr. Satan followed his gaze.
Cell's mouth curled into a grin. "Vegeta. You really healed up and forgot the pain that fast? You're back again? What—trying to turn into a Great Ape? You think I'm going to let you?"
Vegeta dropped from the sky and landed at the edge of the ring with a sharp thud.
The commentator's eyes nearly popped out of his head. Mr. Satan also looked genuinely startled.
So people besides Buu can fly? he thought.
"Another strange man has appeared!" the commentator announced into the mic. "He seems to have flown in from the sky!"
"It's nothing special," Mr. Satan said, trying to sound unimpressed.
"He probably wants to join the Cell Games," the commentator said, adjusting his glasses and walking toward Vegeta. "Hey—who are you? If you're just here to watch, back off! This place is dangerous! And look—Mr. Satan's backup is on that mountain. That's Zeno-sama, the Omni-King—the greatest god in all creation!"
"Get lost," Vegeta snapped, eyes icy. "Don't talk to me again."
The commentator took one look at Vegeta's expression, felt the chill rolling off him, and immediately turned around.
"Something's wrong with that guy," he muttered to Mr. Satan. "He looks… weird."
"This is exactly what I was afraid of," Mr. Satan sighed. He'll ruin my moment.
The commentator checked his watch again and raised the microphone. "Five minutes until the match begins! In five minutes, the Cell Games—the battle the whole world is watching—will finally start! Just as we predicted, only Mr. Satan will face Cell. And that's perfectly normal! Mr. Satan is the world champion—he's more than enough!"
A heavy clap cut him off.
Android 16 descended from above and landed at the ring's edge.
"Another one flew in!" the commentator gasped.
"No need to make a big deal out of it," Mr. Satan said quickly, desperate to keep the spotlight. "My backup can fly too."
Cell's eyes narrowed with mild surprise. "Android 16… So you're alive. And your malfunction is completely fixed."
"The only ones who could repair him are Bulma and her father," Vegeta said flatly.
"Cell is talking to that man," the commentator murmured to Mr. Satan. "Looks like they know each other."
"It's nothing," Mr. Satan said with a dismissive chuckle. "He's big, sure, but I don't see anything special."
Cell suddenly turned his head, smiling toward the sky. "You finally showed up, Goku. I've been waiting."
[End of chapter]
[100 Power Stones = Extra Chapter]
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