After training under Vados, Z Broly had finally developed the ability to think for himself.
His mind still worked quite differently from an ordinary person's, but Trunks's detailed analysis had gotten through to him and left a deep impression.
Long-buried memories surged back like a raging tide, battering his fragile mind. The mention of the Great Ape's power was especially painful. Every time he remembered how his older brother, Super Broly, had used that terrifying form to beat him senseless, humiliation twisted around his heart like a venomous snake.
Now, seeing someone wield that same hateful power brought every beating and humiliation rushing back at once.
Z Broly clenched his teeth. His face contorted with rage, and his once-calm eyes blazed with murderous fury.
In the blink of an eye, his dark silhouette streaked across the sky, reappearing right beside Laitses.
Laitses was still focused on drawing out the Great Ape power hidden within him. He never expected Z Broly to attack so suddenly and interrupt the process.
Before he could react, an enormous fist filled his vision. It came roaring toward him with overwhelming force and a savage aura capable of tearing the world apart.
'Whoosh!'
Laitses didn't dare hesitate. He pushed himself to the limit and flashed away at incredible speed, but Z Broly immediately kept pace with him.
By then, however, Laitses had successfully released all of his Great Ape power.
Their eyes met. A knowing smile appeared on Laitses's face.
Then their fists collided for the first time.
''BOOM!''
The deafening impact shook heaven and earth. A tremendous shockwave swept across the snowfield as though trying to tear everything apart, triggering an instant avalanche.
Hit covered his ears, finding the sheer intensity hard to endure.
Noticing this, Super Perfect Cell said, "Hit, why don't you enter the advancement passage ahead of us? This is already beyond what you can handle."
Hit froze. Super Perfect Cell's words stung, but he knew they came from genuine concern. Still, leaving now would be humiliating. Worse, he would miss this incredible battle.
"No... I can still hold on," Hit replied, though he sounded far from convincing.
Trunks saw through his brave front at a glance.
Judging by Hit's performance in the original story, his strength was roughly on the level of Super Saiyan Blue, around the same tier as a full-powered Super Saiyan 4.
Z Broly's Legendary Super Saiyan 3 form had already surpassed Super Saiyan Blue back then, and many years had passed since. There was no doubt his power had grown by leaps and bounds during that time.
Hit, on the other hand, had learned techniques like Space Prison under Vados's guidance, but his raw power hadn't increased nearly as much. At this point, he was simply forcing himself to stay standing.
Trunks took a deep breath as the power inside him erupted, surging through his body like a raging current.
A dazzling flash engulfed him as he transformed into Super Saiyan 4. His golden hair whipped like flames while a powerful aura poured endlessly from his body.
He flashed over to Hit's side and planted his feet firmly. Bringing his hands together in front of his chest, he began gathering a mysterious energy between his palms.
It started as a faint glow, but as Trunks fed more power into it, the light grew brighter and brighter until it shone like the most brilliant star in the night sky. The streams of light intertwined like two agile serpents, winding tighter around each other until they formed a solid, transparent barrier.
Trunks narrowed his eyes and thrust both hands forward. The newly formed barrier shot toward Hit and enveloped him with a soft hum.
Wrapped in the shining shield, Hit immediately felt the pressure ease. His weakened body stopped swaying, and he slowly straightened his back, steadied his breathing, and returned his attention to the battlefield.
Super Perfect Cell stood beside Trunks and Hit as all three watched Laitses and Z Broly intently.
At the center of the battlefield, the two fighters still had their fists pressed together. Despite their identical positions, the expressions on their faces couldn't have been more different.
Trunks could clearly see an almost tangible killing intent twisting Z Broly's features. Laitses's eyes, however, held something else entirely. There was no simple desire to kill, only a deep hunger for battle and an almost insane delight in the fight itself.
Their mindsets stood at opposite extremes.
As the others watched tensely, Laitses suddenly opened his mouth and roared, "I've waited so long for this day! I once thought it would never come!"
His deep voice trembled slightly, his eyes quivering with emotion.
Unfortunately, his heartfelt declaration received no response whatsoever.
Z Broly simply stood there, his face as cold and expressionless as a statue. Yet the hatred radiating from him burned like a raging inferno.
"You're too damn loud!"
Z Broly's roar shook the sky. Countless particles of energy rapidly gathered inside his mouth, blazing with dazzling light as they collided and fused. The terrifying aura they released made everyone's heart tremble.
In mere moments, an enormous amount of power concentrated in his mouth. Without hesitation, Z Broly locked onto Laitses and aimed directly at his face.
"'ROAAAR!'"
A brilliant beam erupted from his mouth and blasted straight toward Laitses.
The beam carried enough power to destroy heaven and earth. Space itself seemed to split in its wake, rippling violently around it.
The peaceful snowfield was instantly swallowed by a dazzling ocean of light.
At such close range, the blast triggered a colossal explosion. A deafening roar echoed between heaven and earth as an unimaginable shockwave swept outward in every direction, violently tearing Z Broly and Laitses apart.
Their bodies flew backward like kites with severed strings, tracing long arcs through the air in opposite directions.
There was no denying the terrifying power of Z Broly's attack. It was the kind of move that injured the user almost as badly as the target. Then again, that reckless style of fighting suited his ruthless nature perfectly.
The terrifying explosion continued for a full ten seconds before finally beginning to subside.
By the time the light faded, the once-pristine snowfield had been completely devastated. The swirling snow was gone, replaced by thick dust and ruined ground stretching in every direction.
The endless light had swallowed the entire frozen plain. Even after ten full seconds, the chain of explosions showed no sign of stopping, one blast following another, drowning out every other sound.
(End Of This Chapter)
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