Beyond the Brink

Cell hovered above the smoldering crater, his green skin streaked with dust and purple blood, his wings twitching as he glared down at me, fury twisting his once-smug features into a mask of rage. "Damn it, that form," he snarled, his voice low and venomous, eyes narrowing at the blue lightning crackling around me. "It's Gohan all over again; you used my pressure to break your limits, didn't you, you little pest?" The realization gnawed at him, his plan to toy with me unraveling as I stood, reborn in Super Saiyan 2, a mirror of the nightmare he'd barely survived eight years ago.

I wiped the blood from my lip, the golden flames jetting around me, my hair spiked sharper, eyes cold and unyielding as I held Krillin's limp form in one arm, the planet-destroying bomb still trembling in my other hand. "Surprised, Cell?" I said, my tone flat, edged with steel, the thrill of my breakthrough pulsing through me. Two years of grinding, a lifetime of stories from Chichi about Gohan's stand, had led to this; I'd clawed past my ceiling, and now I faced him, not as prey, but as a hunter.

Cell's fists clenched, his tail lashing behind him, his confidence shaken but not shattered. "Don't get cocky, brat; Gohan hit this level and still died by my hand," he spat, his voice rising, a mix of bravado and memory. "Eight years ago, I crushed him, and I've grown since then; you're nothing I can't handle!" He recalled that fight, Gohan's arm lost to Vegeta's recklessness, a fluke that tipped the scales; now, he believed his evolved strength would bury me just as easily.

Krillin stirred in my grip, his eyes fluttering open, bleary and weak, but widening as he took in my transformation. "Goten, you did it," he whispered, his voice a rasp of awe and relief, a faint smile breaking through his pain. "Just like Gohan, you've got it; you can end this!" His excitement trembled, a spark of hope in his battered frame, a man who'd resigned himself to death now seeing a chance at redemption.

I glanced down at him, my expression softening for a moment. "Rest, Mr. Krillin; this is over soon," I said, my voice calm, resolute, before gently pushing him aside, his body sliding to a safe perch on a jagged rock. I turned back to Cell, my gaze hardening again, the air thick with the weight of our impending clash, my new power humming beneath my skin like a live wire.

Cell sneered, regaining his footing in the sky, his wings buzzing louder as he squared his shoulders. "You think breaking through makes you my equal? Gohan thought the same, and he's dust," he said, his tone dripping with disdain. "You'll join him, kid; I'm stronger now, and no Saiyan trick changes that." His confidence surged, bolstered by years of unchallenged dominance, a predator unwilling to yield his throne.

I tilted my head, unfazed, the blue arcs snapping around me as I stepped forward. "Keep dreaming, Cell; I told you, your end's in my hands," I replied, my voice icy, a promise etched in every word. Then I moved, a blur of gold and lightning, leaving an afterimage flickering as I closed the gap, my fist driving upward in a vicious uppercut aimed straight for his gut.

The strike landed before Cell could blink, a thunderous crack splitting the air as my knuckles sank into his abdomen, purple blood spraying from his mouth in a violent arc. He doubled over, clutching his stomach, his body rocketing backward, slamming into the earth with a force that shook the ground, disbelief etched across his face. "How… how's he stronger than Gohan?" he gasped, pain lacing his words, his mind reeling from the sheer power I'd unleashed without warning.

I didn't relent, my body spinning in a fluid arc, a 360-degree roundabout kick slamming into his neck with a bone-jarring thud. Cell crashed down again, a fresh crater yawning wide, dust billowing as he sprawled in the rubble, his armor cracked, his pride bruised. "No breathing room for you," I muttered, hands flaring as I unleashed a barrage of energy waves, golden blasts raining down like a storm of fury.

Explosions rocked the battlefield, mushroom clouds towering into the sky, the crater widening with each hit, a relentless assault that painted the air with fire and smoke. I knew it wouldn't kill him, not yet; Super Saiyan 2 was a leap, but Cell's resilience was a wall I hadn't fully breached. Still, this wasn't about ending him here; I'd achieved my goal, breaking through under his pressure, and now he was just a loose end to tie up.

The ground trembled again, a low rumble building as blue lightning crackled through the haze, Cell's roar piercing the chaos. He erupted from the crater, his body surging upward, golden flames jetting around him, laced with electric arcs that mirrored my own; his Super Saiyan 2 form blazed to life, a monster unchained. "You've pissed me off, brat!" he bellowed, his voice a guttural snarl, the air warping under his unleashed power, a tempest of rage and might.

Krillin gaped from his perch, his cybernetic hand steadying him as he watched, awe and fear warring in his eyes. "He's matching Cell blow for blow, but that lightning form's no joke," he murmured, his voice tight, knowing the stakes had spiked higher than ever. Cell's aura dwarfed the battlefield, a storm of gold and blue, his fists clenched as he glared at me, fury igniting every word.

"No one's made me hurt like this in years," Cell said, his tone dark, dangerous, the flames around him flaring wilder. "You've surprised me, kid, and lit a fire I can't ignore; now you'll taste fear worse than hell!" His power surged, a tidal wave of energy that shook the earth, promising a reckoning I couldn't dodge.

I stood my ground, the golden glow steady around me, my breath even as I met his gaze. "You think you're untouchable, Cell, and yeah, this form of mine might not beat you straight up," I said, my voice calm, almost serene. "But I'm done playing; my goal's met, and you're out of time; I'll end you in a flash." With that, I let the Super Saiyan 2 power fade, the lightning and flames winking out, returning to my base form, a move that left Cell and Krillin staring, dumbfounded.

Cell's eyes widened, his snarl faltering into confusion. "What's this? You're dropping your only shot?" he demanded, his voice rising, incredulity mixing with his rage. Krillin echoed him, leaning forward, voice cracking. "Goten, what are you doing? That's your edge!"

I smirked faintly, hands loose at my sides, the calm before the storm settling over me. "Don't need it anymore," I said, my tone final, a quiet certainty that hung in the air like a blade poised to fall. Ultra Instinct Mega simmered beneath, a power Cell couldn't fathom, and I was ready to unleash it, to wipe him from existence in the blink of an eye.

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