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So when Thor's name was drowned in the cheers of billions, Loki's was nothing more than a forgettable footnote.
"Loki? Who's that?"
"Oh, Thor's useless little brother."
Those words had carved themselves into his soul long ago. They echoed there, over and over, until numbness curdled into something close to madness. He wanted nothing more than to prove to the All-Father, Odin, that he—Loki—was the one who truly surpassed the God of Thunder.
But fate was cruel.
No matter how fiercely he trained, no matter how deeply he delved into forbidden magic, his power remained pitifully thin. Surpass Thor? He couldn't even begin to close the canyon between them.
The resentment inside him coiled like a venomous snake, gnawing at his insides. And yet he was powerless to change anything.
So when the screen showed Cell unleashing world-shattering power, something twisted and ugly flared to life in Loki's chest.
Why could Cell possess such overwhelming might… while he was doomed to live in someone else's shadow?
As for the other one in the video—Son Goku?
Loki had only one opinion.
Idiot.
A complete, hopeless fool.
Fairness? Please. "Fairness" was the biggest joke in the universe.
He could practically see it already—the arrogant little brat, Son Gohan, being torn apart for the sake of some ridiculous "fair fight."
"Cell… show me your victory," Loki murmured, eyes glinting cold and dark. "Crush that annoying little whelp. Do it for me."
He needed it.
He needed to see that brutality. Needed the satisfaction of knowing he wasn't the most pathetic monster in the universe.
The live feed shifted back to Earth.
High above the battlefield, Cell hovered, wrapped in a violent aura of energy.
On the ground, Gohan looked up at him—calm. Cold. Unafraid.
And then—
He roared.
It was a sound that ripped through the sky, through the earth, through the hearts of everyone watching.
The ground trembled violently. The air boiled and surged toward him, spiraling into a towering vortex that shot straight into the heavens.
Thunder rumbled.
Cracks split the earth like spiderwebs, racing across the battlefield. Lightning flickered along the edges of the storm of energy surrounding him.
Gohan's small body stood at the center of it all—
And the power pouring from him surpassed Goku's.
Tenshinhan and Yamcha stared in disbelief as rocks and dust were torn into the sky. This had to be a mirage.
But the wind slicing against their skin told them otherwise.
Krillin and Piccolo slowly turned toward Goku. They'd thought he was insane for sending his son out there.
He wasn't joking.
Whatever the outcome, Gohan's energy right now clearly exceeded Goku's.
Even Cell's expression changed. The arrogance vanished from his face as he regarded the boy more seriously.
Piccolo's voice was low. "Gohan…"
There was pride there. And awe.
When the storm finally faded, Gohan stood still, eyes locked on Cell.
In the real world, Tenshinhan glanced at the sleeping child in Goku's arms—tail lazily swishing—and then back at the warrior on screen.
"That's… Gohan?"
Krillin's jaw practically hit the floor.
Even Bulma froze, her hand falling from Goku's ear. That soft, sweet kid? The one Chi-Chi fussed over constantly?
There was no way to reconcile him with the fierce, cold-eyed fighter in the video.
The footage sped up.
Cell had initially been pushed back by Gohan's explosion of power. But what followed wasn't fear.
It was excitement.
"So Kakarot wasn't bluffing after all," Cell sneered. "But don't tell me you idiots think this is enough to defeat me."
He vanished.
In the next instant, he appeared behind Gohan.
Gohan spun around sharply, settling into the same fighting stance as his father, eyes sharp as blades.
Cell's lips curled. "A bold little insect. You should feel honored. Not everyone gets to die screaming in terror."
He attacked.
One thought—and he was beside Gohan, a savage kick lashing toward his waist.
Gohan raised an arm and blocked it.
Cell's follow-up came like a tidal wave. A spinning kick. A barrage of punches. Blow after blow hammered into Gohan's guard.
Gohan clenched his teeth. He could see every movement clearly—but raw power still favored Cell.
A crushing punch broke his defense for a split second. Cell leapt high and came down with a devastating aerial kick.
Gohan shot upward just in time, narrowly avoiding it.
But Cell pursued instantly.
He overtook Gohan midair, reappeared beside him—
Another destructive kick.
This time Gohan vanished, leaving only an afterimage.
He reappeared on the ground, staring up warily.
From a distant cliff, Goku smiled. "Nice one, Gohan!"
The encouragement didn't distract him.
Cell attacked again.
The explosions came one after another. Mountains cracked. The earth shattered under the shockwaves of their battle.
To the outside eye, it looked one-sided.
Cell seemed to be overwhelming him.
After another round of relentless pressure, they finally separated.
Cell's grin twisted with excitement. "Impressive, boy. But if this is your limit…"
He laughed softly.
"Let me show you true speed."
He stopped playing.
In a flash, he disappeared.
At the same moment, Gohan let out a strangled gasp.
Cell's hand had clamped around his throat.
His speed had surged again.
Holding Gohan like a helpless bird, Cell rained down punch after punch into his face.
Gohan couldn't fight back.
In the real world, everyone watching turned pale.
Chi-Chi, who had just regained consciousness, followed their horrified gazes—
And saw her son being mercilessly beaten.
She screamed.
And fainted again.
On screen, Cell finally tossed Gohan aside like trash.
But before the boy even hit the ground, Cell appeared above him and drove a brutal kick into his stomach.
The impact was catastrophic.
Gohan slammed into the earth, blasting a massive crater dozens of meters wide. Dust and rubble exploded outward in waves.
Krillin felt his heart sink.
There was no way anyone could survive that.
Yet—
Goku stood there with his arms folded, smiling calmly.
"Goku! Gohan—!" Krillin shouted desperately.
No response.
Goku trusted his son completely.
The dust cleared.
Cell's eyes narrowed.
Gohan stood up.
Unbroken.
He wiped a thin streak of blood from the corner of his mouth and stared up at Cell with an even colder gaze.
"Interesting," Cell murmured, glancing briefly at the confident Goku nearby.
Gohan raised his guard again. Steady. Unyielding.
Cell descended slowly to the ground, amusement flickering in his eyes before turning to malice.
"This is nothing but the final twitching of a dying insect, Son Gohan."
Gohan said nothing.
But his stance was answer enough.
The air grew deathly still.
Cell began walking toward him, casual as if strolling through a garden.
And just when everyone thought he was still taking his time—
Boom.
He shot into the sky like a cannon shell.
A blazing energy beam, hot enough to warp space itself, tore through the air—
Straight at Gohan.
"....."