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Kakuzu felt utterly humiliated. But in the very next second, the even more terrifying aura erupting from Little Cell in the video made his blood seem to freeze. Cold sweat instantly drenched his forehead.
Uchiha Itachi's crimson Mangekyō Sharingan locked onto the screen, frantically analyzing and copying every combat pattern unfolding in the footage.
From all the otherworldly videos that had played before, he had already found countless combat techniques worth learning from. Every one of them would become the most precious legacy he intended to leave behind for his beloved little brother, Uchiha Sasuke.
Nagato silently observed the subtle expressions on the faces of the Akatsuki members. He said nothing.
The level of power displayed in the video had already surpassed the limits of their understanding. Those fighters didn't use ninjutsu or chakra, yet their raw physical strength alone could easily tear apart the techniques the ninja world prided itself on.
The longer Nagato watched, the more uneasy he became.
These were beings they simply could not rival.
How could monsters like this possibly exist in the world?
Elsewhere, in Konoha.
"Might Guy… can we really become as strong as the people in that video?"
Rock Lee's eyes sparkled with fanatical admiration for strength. Watching the screen filled with thrilling hand-to-hand combat, his heart overflowed with longing.
Young Lee didn't understand the true weight behind battles at that level. All he thought was that if it was taijutsu, then his most respected teacher, Might Guy, must surely be capable of the same.
Might Guy fell silent.
He didn't know how to answer his most treasured student.
Become that strong?
Deep down, Guy doubted it. The level he could currently reach and the people standing at the absolute peak of power in the video weren't even in the same dimension.
"Lee! As long as the fire in your heart never burns out, one day you will reach that supreme realm! That is the ultimate meaning of youth!"
Guy's signature passionate eyes stared firmly at his beloved disciple. Suppressing the strange unease in his chest, he poured all his enthusiasm into fueling Lee's dream.
"Yes, sir!!"
Rock Lee's reply exploded like thunder, his smile brighter than the sun.
But in the very next instant—
An indescribable pressure descended.
A terrifying force capable of crushing everything fell like an invisible iron gate over the sky above Konoha.
"What the hell is this!?"
Might Guy's eyes bulged, his pupils trembling. The pressure felt like the entire weight of the world had been dumped onto his shoulders. His nerves screamed in agony.
What was happening!?
And it wasn't just Konoha.
At that exact moment, every living being across the countless worlds who were watching the floating screen felt the same overwhelming force lock them in place.
No one could trace where the pressure came from. Yet everyone felt as if they had been thrown into the jaws of a primordial beast, clearly sensing its boundless terror.
"What… just happened…"
Bleach World
Within the endless sands of Hueco Mundo, Aizen Sōsuke sat comfortably upon his throne.
Watching the screen, he admired how the "perfect lifeform" Cell toyed with Son Goku and the others like pieces on a board.
A faint, satisfied smile curled at his lips.
He realized he felt a strong resonance with this being called Cell.
That ruthless pursuit of power. That willingness to do anything to reach one's goal.
It felt like looking at another version of himself in a different universe.
A recognition between beings of the same kind.
"What a shame. If it were possible, I would quite enjoy sitting down with Mr. Cell for a long conversation."
Aizen sighed softly.
Among all the videos that had played, only this one truly pleased him.
Unfortunately, Cell did not belong to this world. The thought left Aizen feeling both fortunate… and strangely regretful.
Just as he prepared to continue enjoying the show—
A terrifying pressure suddenly crashed down on him like a falling mountain.
It slammed directly into his body, a body that had already surpassed the limits of the Shinigami realm.
"—What!?"
Aizen's eyes narrowed violently as shock filled his face.
The pressure squeezed him from every direction, invading every inch of space. Instinctively he tried to break free, unleashing his spiritual pressure.
"This… this can't be possible."
A storm raged in his mind.
He, a being who had already stepped into the domain of gods, someone beyond common sense, discovered he could not escape this force.
"What kind of joke is this? Ridiculous!"
Grinding his teeth, Aizen forced every drop of power from his body. His spiritual pressure erupted like a volcano as it clashed against the invisible force.
He clearly felt what the power was trying to do.
It was forcing him to perform the one act he despised most.
Kneel.
But Aizen was far too proud for that.
He was meant to stand above the heavens themselves.
He pushed his strength to the absolute limit, resisting the humiliation with everything he had.
Yet to his horror, his knees slowly began bending inward on their own.
"No!!!"
His eyes cracked wide. Blood surged up his throat, and he spat out a mouthful of blood brimming with spiritual pressure. The price of resisting that force was brutal.
Thud.
His face went blank.
In the next moment the crushing pressure finished its work.
With a dull bang, Aizen was smashed into the cold ground of Hueco Mundo like a puppet with its strings cut, pinned there and completely unable to move.
Fairy Tail World
"Hey! What is this!? I can't move!!"
Veins bulged across Natsu's forehead as he clenched his teeth. His face showed fear he had never experienced before.
The pressure pouring down from the projection in the sky made his very soul tremble.
Erza dropped to one knee. Even though she had instantly activated her Requip magic and donned the legendary Fairy Armor, known for its strongest defense, the armor itself let out a strained metallic cry under the invisible pressure.
Even she couldn't fully resist it.
"That's impossible!"
Gray coughed up a mouthful of blood. Before he could even form his ice magic circle, the crushing force forced him down to the ground.
Elite mages like Gray, Natsu, and Erza could barely hold on.
But most members of the Fairy Tail guild were already foaming at the mouth and collapsing unconscious like dominoes.
Just what level of power was this?
Administrator Dimension
Su Jin watched the real-time reactions from countless worlds with mild shock. Monitoring feedback like this was one of his privileges as the video administrator.
But he had never expected this.
The overwhelming aura from the battles he edited and uploaded had actually broken through dimensional barriers, crossing time and space to physically affect every viewer.
And the higher the level of power shown in the video…
the more terrifying the overflow became.
There was only one reason the countless worlds felt a pressure strong enough to force even gods to their knees.
The central figure of the video—
Son Gohan—
had completely entered his Super Saiyan 2 berserk state.
Even the universe-spanning viewers weren't the only ones shaken.
Su Jin himself, the one who made the video, felt his heart tremble and his breathing falter under the murderous aura erupting from Gohan.
And this was only Super Saiyan 2.
What about Super Saiyan 3?
Super Saiyan 4?
Or even the legendary Saiyan God?
What kind of apocalyptic power capable of shattering galaxies would those forms unleash?
Back in the Video
Watching his friends and family being tortured by the Cell Juniors…
Watching Android 16's head, the last symbol of hope, brutally crushed beneath Cell's foot—
The fury Gohan had suppressed deep in his heart detonated all at once like nuclear fusion.
A violent surge of ki erupted from his small body and shot into the sky.
The sheer energy fluctuation made even Cell break into a cold sweat.
What kind of terrifying creature was this!?
Yet alongside the shock, something else surged inside Cell.
Excitement.
Not fear.
Excitement.
Facing Gohan's tsunami-like power, Cell felt ecstatic.
This was exactly the kind of battle he craved.
"Excellent! Yes! That's it!!"
"Come on, Gohan! Show me the ultimate power hidden beneath that calm little face of yours!"
Cell roared arrogantly. Deep down he was convinced he could never lose to a kid who had just awakened.
Gohan's face remained cold.
Now in Super Saiyan 2, golden lightning crackled violently around him. His aura felt colder, angrier, more ruthless.
With a quick flick of his wrist, the bag of senzu beans that had been tightly held in Cell's hand somehow appeared in Gohan's.
"What!? Damn it! Give those back!!"
Cell's pupils shrank violently. In that instant, he hadn't even seen an afterimage.
Realizing the senzu beans were stolen, Cell exploded with rage and lunged at Gohan.
But he missed.
Gohan had already vanished.
Like a ghost, he appeared in front of a Cell Junior that was beating Krillin.
"Geh-heh-heh!"
The little monster grinned viciously and threw a punch straight at Gohan's face.
BOOM!!!
All anyone saw was Gohan's right arm flicker.
The next second, the arrogant Cell Junior exploded like a balloon ignited by fire, bursting into a blazing cloud.
"Gohan…"
Krillin struggled to raise his head.
The scene in front of him shattered his understanding.
The boy standing there was completely different from the shy, gentle Gohan he knew.
Cold.
Furious.
Terrifying killing intent swirled around his small body like icy blades.
Krillin inhaled sharply.
It felt like he didn't know this boy anymore.
"Uncle Krillin, please give the senzu beans to everyone."
Gohan handed him one to eat, then stuffed the bean bag into his hands.
Before Krillin could react, Gohan's body turned into a flash of golden lightning and disappeared again.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Under Krillin's stunned gaze, Gohan moved like a reaper striking from a higher dimension.
Several golden flashes later, the Cell Juniors that had been overpowering Trunks, Vegeta, and even Goku exploded in midair before they could scream.
They burst into gruesome fireworks of flesh and blood.
The slaughter stunned the remaining three Cell Juniors.
They glanced at each other in panic, abandoned Yamcha, Tien, and Piccolo, and shrieked as they charged toward Gohan together.
Whoosh!
A sharp tearing sound split the air.
Gohan had already appeared behind them.
His cold eyes looked down toward Cell.
He didn't even glance at the three Cell Juniors frozen behind him.
"Now it's your turn."
His voice was ice-cold.
The moment he finished speaking—
Behind him, the three Cell Juniors suddenly screamed.
Then their bodies exploded into fragments, raining down to the ground.
In just a few seconds, every single Cell Junior had been wiped out.
Cell's pupils shrank.
He subconsciously stepped back.
He hadn't even seen how they died.
Which meant something obvious.
Their speeds weren't even in the same league.
But almost immediately, Cell became furious at himself for stepping back.
He was Cell.
The perfect lifeform.
How could he show such disgrace?
His face darkened as he stared at Gohan floating in the air.
"So that's it," Cell sneered. "This is the power born from the anger inside that fragile little body?"
"I'd love to see just how strong that savage power can become!"
Gohan's golden aura burned like a blazing star.
Blue lightning wrapped around him like a waterfall of electricity, radiating a terrifying pressure that warned everyone to stay away.
He slowly descended and walked straight toward Cell.
The moment Android 16's head shattered…
The kindness inside Gohan had been crushed along with it.
Now he would make Cell understand something very clearly.
Provoking him carried a price.
A price straight from hell.
BOOM!!!!
A massive wave of ki erupted from Gohan, distorting the air itself.
Cell's eyes widened in shock.
The next second, all he saw was a golden fist surrounded by lightning rapidly expanding in his vision.
No time to dodge.
Completely locked on.
BANG!!!
Gohan's iron fist slammed directly into Cell's face with the force of a nuclear explosion.
Cell groaned in pain as his body shot backward like a meteor.
"....."