"Look over there!" the cameraman said, pointing.
Several golden lights streaked across the blue sky toward them. Three blazing auras moved faster than the rest, flashing into the scene in an instant.
Ken, Merus, and Bier descended together with Broly, Ai, Jiren, and Kale, landing near Zeno-sama's hilltop.
Ken, Merus, and Bier bowed immediately. Broly, Jiren, and Kale dropped to one knee.
"Ken, Merus—you're here!" Zeno-sama greeted warmly. "Get up. You don't have to be so formal."
They rose.
Zeno-sama looked at Bier, thinking. "What was your name again?"
"Zeno-sama, I'm Bier," she answered respectfully. "An angel born in Universe 12."
"Good," Zeno-sama said, bright with anticipation. "Let's watch. This looks fun. And there are contestants arriving over there."
He pointed toward the sky where Goku's group was approaching.
Bardock flew with the group, carrying Gine in his arms. Then his eyes widened as he spotted Zeno-sama on the distant hill.
"That's… Zeno-sama?" Bardock's face changed instantly.
He accelerated at once, landed on Zeno-sama's hilltop, and dropped to one knee.
Gine didn't kneel—she just looked confused.
Bardock pressed a hand down on her head and forced her into a kneel as well.
Zeno-sama tilted his head. "Who are you?"
"Zeno-sama," Bardock said quickly, "I'm Bardock, the God of Destruction of Universe 9."
"I heard you've developed Universe 9 pretty well," Zeno-sama said with approval. "That deserves praise."
"Thank you, Zeno-sama," Bardock said, bowing again.
Ken watched quietly.
Zeno-sama knows more than people think, he mused. If you treat him like an ordinary child, you're making a huge mistake. A normal kid wouldn't talk about how well Universe 9 is developing.
Zeno-sama's eyes gleamed with gossip. "Who's that girl with you?"
"She's my wife, Gine," Bardock explained, then quickly added, "More precisely—my wife after reincarnation."
"Your wife after reincarnation?" Zeno-sama nodded thoughtfully. "After all these years, you still stayed faithful to her. That's admirable."
"Thank you, Zeno-sama," Bardock said again.
"Get up and watch," Zeno-sama told him.
"Yes, Zeno-sama," Bardock replied, rising at last.
Gine finally understood enough to break into a cold sweat.
This unassuming person is absolutely a god, she thought. Even Bardock treats him with reverence. Thank goodness I didn't say anything careless… or Bardock would've been dragged down with me.
Ken glanced at the left guard, then the right guard, sizing them up. His gaze settled on the right guard's face.
The right guard narrowed his eyes, hostility plain.
What are you looking at?
Ken looked away and spoke to Amarella inside him.
"That was the right guard, wasn't it?" Ken asked. "I know that look. He's the one who glared at me."
"Yes," Amarella confirmed. "That's him. Don't provoke him."
"He said he's level 71," Ken said. "What do you think?"
"Sounds about right," Amarella replied after a pause.
"And if the left guard doesn't step in, it's hard for the right guard to raise his level any further?" Ken asked.
"Exactly," Amarella said, shaking her head. "And you're one level below him. You know what that gap means."
Ken smiled. "We'll see later. For now, let Cell warm up."
Cell, down at the ring, stared in disbelief as he watched Bardock kneel on that distant hill.
What is that? he thought. Even someone as strong as Bardock is kneeling to that guy?
Wasn't he just some mascot that Earthling brought along?
And that arrogant Ken bowed too. Did I see that right?
Who is that "mascot," really?
Before Cell could process it, Goku and the others arrived in a rush and landed around the arena.
"Welcome," Cell said, recovering his composure as he faced them.
As for that "mascot," Cell decided it didn't matter. Once I absorb Kale's cells, I'll grind him into the dirt.
He glanced at Kale and quietly measured the distance between them.
It's nothing, he thought. Taking her cells will be easy.
"Hmph. You came as a pack," Vegeta muttered, clearly irritated.
Goku looked toward Bardock's direction, then noticed Ken and Broly's group on the distant hilltop.
Haven't I seen that guy on TV? he thought. Ken knows him?
Krillin's eyes narrowed in confusion.
Why is Ken standing with Mr. Satan's people? What is going on?
Before he could think further, Android 16 walked over to him.
"Android 16?" Krillin said, surprised. "You're fixed?"
"Thank you, Krillin," 16 said sincerely. "Because of you, I can stand again."
Krillin laughed with relief. "That's great. I'm really glad."
"Let's do our best," Goku said warmly, offering his hand.
"Goku?" Android 16's face hardened. "I was created to kill you."
Goku froze.
"He's still holding a grudge," Goku said to Krillin, forcing an awkward smile.
Krillin wiped sweat off his forehead.
Up on the ring, Mr. Satan looked like he was about to cry.
They keep stealing the camera, he thought. I'm turning into a side character here.
"This is getting ridiculous," Mr. Satan muttered, his temper flaring. "You can't just decide the order of who fights!"
The commentator stepped forward. "Are you all planning to join the Cell Games too?"
"Yes," Goku said, nodding. "Not everyone, but some of us."
"This isn't a game!" the commentator barked. "Stop messing around! You don't understand anything!"
"You're the one who doesn't understand anything," Krillin shot back, scowling.
Mr. Satan let out a smug laugh. "Unbelievable. You people are that clueless? You don't even know the great Mr. Satan, the number one in the world? And look at that mountain! Zeno-sama is my backup—he's the Omni-King, the greatest god in all creation!"
"And Mr. Satan is the world martial arts champion!" the commentator added at once. "A genius! The strongest man alive!"
Goku and the others looked back toward Zeno-sama again.
That person does feel… different, Goku thought. And if Ken bowed to him—and Dad knelt…
Could he really be the greatest god?
"Forget it, Goku," Krillin said after a moment. "If he wants to go first, let him."
Goku nodded. Mr. Satan's background feels strange. The person he brought is someone even Ken treated with respect.
Cell clapped his hands once. "Time. Whoever goes first is fine. Get on with it."
"Of course it's me!" Mr. Satan declared with a dazzling smile. "I'm first!"
The first big moment is mine, he thought. I'm going to sell this like a legend.
"Mr. Satan has steadied himself and is preparing to begin!" the commentator announced. "He's removed his cape and taken off his glorious championship belt! The Cell Games are about to begin—this battle decides Earth's fate, and Mr. Satan once said he was happy to wait for this day!"
Mr. Satan and Cell stood facing each other on the ring.
"And now Mr. Satan has taken something from his chest!" the commentator continued. "Ah… a Capsule!"
Mr. Satan pressed the Capsule and tossed it forward.
With a pop and a burst of smoke, it expanded into a travel bag.
He unzipped it and began pulling out roof tiles, stacking them carefully on the ground. Fifteen tiles in total.
"He's not going to…" Yamcha's eyes widened.
Krillin couldn't even watch.
Mr. Satan drew a deep breath, clenched his fist, and focused like he was about to split the world in half.
Zeno-sama leaned forward, thrilled.
The arena fell silent.
"RAAAAH!" Mr. Satan roared, raised his hand high, and chopped down hard.
Crack. Crack. Crack.
The dust settled.
"Amazing—one tile remains!" the commentator shouted, voice overflowing with praise. "Incredible destructive power! Mr. Satan shattered fourteen tiles—fourteen!"
"Nice!" Zeno-sama clapped excitedly.
Ken and the other gods collectively broke into awkward sweat.
Zeno-sama… are you clapping seriously?
Jiren looked outright stunned.
This is the greatest god in creation, he thought, and he's cheering for a man chopping tiles?
Ken glanced at Zeno-sama, then at the two guards behind him. They didn't react at all, like this was normal.
Ken thought it over. Maybe to Zeno-sama, this really was just a game. The way mortals cheer at cockfights or other contests—someone lands a hit, people clap, and that's all it is.
If you watch as a spectator, even a clumsy "feat" like this can look entertaining.
Across the world, viewers clapped and cheered in front of their televisions.
Cell stared blankly.
I'm surrounded by idiots.
"Cell!" Mr. Satan shouted, pointing at the shattered tiles. "See this pile? That's you in one minute!"
The crowd erupted again, chanting Mr. Satan's name.
"This is unbelievable!" the commentator cried, tears streaming down his face.
Mr. Satan grinned smugly.
That was perfect, he thought. Absolute perfection.
And it's live.
Zeno-sama is watching.
Maybe I'll get some divine title out of this.
"All right!" Mr. Satan snapped into a fighting stance. "Let's go!"
"Go, Mr. Satan!" Zeno-sama shouted, even standing up to cheer.
Mr. Satan pumped his fist toward Zeno-sama in gratitude.
Merus stood there, speechless.
Zeno-sama… are you serious? he thought. You really want that mortal to fight Cell?
"He'll die in one hit," Merus muttered under his breath, then stepped forward. "Zeno-sama, should I discreetly help Mr. Satan? Just a little, from the shadows?"
"You helping?" Zeno-sama shot him an annoyed look. "If you're going to do something, you should just fight yourself."
Merus went quiet.
Fine, he thought. I won't meddle.
"And now—the Cell Games have begun!" the commentator roared. "Mr. Satan, champion of the World Martial Arts Tournament, versus Cell! The fist of justice points at the monster who stole countless lives!"
Around the world, people screamed at their screens, urging their hero on.
"The rules are simple," the commentator continued. "Fall off the ring, surrender, or die—you lose! If possible, Mr. Satan may even execute Cell right here!"
Mr. Satan charged, arms flailing wildly, throwing himself at Cell with everything he had.
"An ambush—Mr. Satan's secret technique!" the commentator shouted. "His iron foot hits Cell squarely! The outcome is already decided!"
"And his hands don't stop—Cell can't even fight back!"
"Magnificent! That's Mr. Satan!"
Zeno-sama bounced in excitement. "Yeah! Hit him! Hit him!"
Mr. Satan laughed like a man possessed and swung another heavy punch at Cell.
Cell finally sighed, thoroughly irritated. "You're loud."
He lifted one hand and lightly slapped.
Mr. Satan went flying like he'd been launched from a cannon.
He arced through the air and slammed into the cliff of the mountain where Zeno-sama was watching, then tumbled down the slope.
Zeno-sama's smile slowly stiffened. He raised his small hand—like he was about to erase Universe 6 on the spot.
I was having fun, his expression seemed to say. You ruined it.
Merus's face went pale. "Ken—save Mr. Satan, now!" he blurted.
Ken's eyes lit up. "Is Zeno-sama about to erase this universe?" he asked, looking almost excited.
Merus stared at him in disbelief.
What is wrong with you?
Bier's instincts screamed danger. For a split second, she even wondered if she should leave—maybe the Omni-King erasing a universe wouldn't affect angels, but if anything went wrong, it would be a nightmare.
Zeno-sama rolled his eyes, scratched his head, and lowered his hand again.
Why do you look so excited about me erasing a universe? he seemed to think. That kid is not nice.
All around the world, people felt the same sinking dread. Their greatest hero had just been swatted away.
The commentator stood on the ring with his microphone, dazed, struggling to process what he'd seen.
"He… he fell out of bounds," he said finally, voice heavy. "Mr. Satan has lost."
"Mr. Satan!" Buu cried.
He leapt down at once, rushed to Mr. Satan, and used a healing technique. In moments, Mr. Satan's injuries vanished completely.
Cell watched from afar, eyes narrowing at Buu.
Where did that weird little pony come from? he thought. It can heal?
Mr. Satan climbed to his feet, dusting himself off, his pride on the verge of collapse.
Zeno-sama—the greatest god in creation, he thought. Aren't you supposed to be my strongest support?
You didn't help at all!
I just got humiliated in front of the whole world!
He kept the complaints in his head. Out loud, he didn't dare say a word.
Even Buu is terrified of him, Mr. Satan thought. I'm not opening my mouth.
The commentator hurried over, trying to sound concerned. "Mr. Satan… how did you lose?"
"I wasn't standing firmly," Mr. Satan said, lifting his chin with practiced confidence. "I slipped and fell out, that's all."
If I don't admit it, he thought, I can still keep the image alive.
"I… I saw you get thrown," the commentator said, sweating.
Mr. Satan's eyes went cold.
Can you not say the honest part out loud?
"Ah—my mistake!" the commentator stammered, immediately backtracking. "I must've seen it wrong!"
"Don't worry," Mr. Satan said with a huff. "Once I rest a bit, I'll go back and settle things properly."
Vegeta glanced at Mr. Satan, then toward Zeno-sama's hilltop, and frowned. He couldn't make sense of what he was seeing.
Cell called out impatiently, "Enough. Start the real Cell Games. Who's next? Goku?"
"Yes," Goku said, stepping forward. "Me."
Buu bristled, furious. "I'm going up there! He hit my Mr. Satan! I'll turn you into chocolate and eat you!"
He started toward the ring—
"Get back here," Zeno-sama said.
Buu froze, then immediately flew back to Zeno-sama's side like a scolded child.
"What are you going to fight for?" Zeno-sama complained. "You'd finish it in one or two hits. That's boring."
Buu nodded obediently, not daring to argue.
Zeno-sama looked back toward the ring.
Goku had already stepped onto the platform. Everyone's attention shifted to him—especially Vegeta's.
Kakarot, Vegeta thought. Show me what you've really got.
Jiren was watching even more closely.
"That's Goku?" Jiren asked Merus quietly.
"Yes," Merus said, nodding. "On the way to Namek, I took a quick look at his strength."
"What level?" Jiren asked, eyes sharpening.
"By my estimate, his maximum right now is level 10," Merus said.
"In four years, from level 1 to level 10…" Jiren murmured. "That's impressive."
He didn't say the rest: in those same four years, he was still level 30—only edging closer to 31.
"Right," Merus agreed. "And his grasp of Ultra Instinct is unusually good. But if you're talking about levels, he's still far behind you."
"Of course," Jiren said, calm and confident.
Only level 10. Fast growth, sure, but everyone has a ceiling.
Zeno-sama suddenly spoke again. "Hey, Ken."
Ken stepped forward and looked up, waiting.
"What's that person's name?" Zeno-sama asked, pointing at the ring.
"That's Goku," Ken said. "He's also the future successor I found for the Supreme Kai."
"Oh," Zeno-sama said, nodding as if filing it away.
Ken pointed toward Jiren next. "And Jiren is the Supreme Kai successor Merus trained."
Zeno-sama glanced at Jiren but didn't comment, then returned his gaze to Goku.
Goku stood on the ring with that familiar mild smile, as if this were another training match.
Cell stretched his arms and smiled back. "You're first? I was hoping to play with the others a bit."
Goku didn't answer. Golden light flared around him as he transformed into a Super Saiyan.
Krillin blinked. "Huh? Why Super Saiyan? Why not just use Super Saiyan God and finish this?"
Cell paused mid-motion, staring toward Krillin in confusion. "Super Saiyan God? What's that?"
[End of chapter]
[100 Power Stones = Extra Chapter]
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