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Cell's eyes froze over, a biting chill flashing through them. He let out a sharp laugh, his voice cold as splintering ice.
"You are unbelievably stupid."
"You really think those childish words would make me tremble and walk away from this ultimate, heart-pounding battle?"
He shot Gohan a sideways glance, disdain written all over his face.
"In the end, you're just a clueless little brat. After hearing your ridiculous warnings, my blood is boiling even more. All I want now is to use every method possible to force that rage out of you."
"I want to see it with my own eyes — that so-called power sleeping inside you!"
Before the words had even settled, Cell vanished.
A blurred afterimage was all that remained. In the next instant, a devastating punch slammed into Gohan's face, launching him backward like a meteor tearing through the sky.
Cell didn't even try to hide what he was doing. He was provoking him. Deliberately.
He disappeared again, reappearing directly above Gohan's flight path.
A hand strike sharp enough to split a mountain came crashing down.
Boom!
The force smashed Gohan straight through the earth's crust, driving him into the ground like a nail hammered deep into stone.
"How does it feel? Get angry! Come on! Show me your rage!"
Cell planted his foot on Gohan's head, grinding down with deliberate humiliation, trying to crush his will completely.
But to Cell's disbelief, even though Gohan's face twisted in agony and his fingers clawed desperately at broken stone, there wasn't a hint of anger in his eyes.
That was the last straw.
Cell wanted an epic battle — something intoxicating, something worthy of him. Gohan had lit the fuse, then refused to let it burn. That tease, that restraint, drove Cell into a frenzy.
It was like being lured in and then rejected at the last second.
He stomped once.
Then again.
And again.
Each brutal step pounded into Gohan's body as Cell vented his growing madness. Finally, he grabbed Gohan by the collar and hauled him up, eyes blazing.
"Get angry! Damn it, get angry!"
Bang!
Another explosive punch smashed into Gohan's face.
Gohan staggered back again and again, offering no resistance. Cell chased him down relentlessly, fists and kicks raining down while his words cut just as deep.
"Right now! Get angry! Do you hear me? I said get furious!"
Hundreds of blows poured down.
Nothing.
Not even a spark.
Enraged beyond reason, Cell kicked Gohan away like discarded trash.
For a moment, he considered killing him outright.
But he hesitated.
If Gohan truly held that terrifying power inside him… then drawing it out would be the ultimate feast. A once-in-a-lifetime thrill.
If he killed the boy now, that chance would be gone forever.
"Damn you! Get angry!"
His fury only grew. He wanted to squeeze every last drop of rage out of Gohan.
So he intensified the beating, crossing into outright cruelty.
And then—
Something snapped.
"AAAAAAH!"
Pain and humiliation finally ignited Gohan's nerves. With a roar, he threw a punch — his first real counterattack — and drove it straight into Cell's abdomen.
Thunder cracked through the air.
Caught completely off guard, Cell felt a tearing pain rip through his stomach before his body flew backward like a kite with its string cut.
Boom!
He crashed heavily into the distant ground. A thin line of purple blood slid down from the corner of his mouth.
"Kh…!"
He spat out blood, shocked. He hadn't expected Gohan's first retaliation to carry such terrifying force.
Slowly, he rose, wiping his mouth.
"Now it's getting interesting… Gohan. I swear, I will find a way to make you explode with rage."
His gaze shifted toward the group watching from the rock wall — Goku and the others.
Suddenly, he turned into a streak of lightning and shot straight toward Krillin.
Krillin didn't even have time to react.
In the blink of an eye, Cell was in front of him.
And just like that, Cell snatched the small pouch hanging from Krillin's waist — the precious Senzu Beans.
"What are you doing?!" Krillin shouted in horror.
"So these are the Senzu Beans? Heh. Since you useless fools don't appreciate them, I'll be taking all of them."
He kicked Krillin aside without a second thought and flew back to Gohan.
"This is bad…" Goku muttered. They hadn't had a chance to restock the beans since the last battle. Watching them fall into enemy hands filled him with a deep sense of dread.
Cell tilted his head and glanced mockingly at the seven fighters on the cliff.
"There are eight of you in total. I don't even need to lift a finger to wipe you out."
He smirked. From his perspective, he already had the upper hand.
Gohan's eyes widened.
"What are you planning?!"
"I'll do whatever I want," Cell replied coldly, tightening his grip on the pouch. "As long as it makes you furious and unleashes that power of yours."
"If you're so good at suppressing your anger… then your friends can pay the price instead."
Killing intent flared in his eyes as he turned toward Goku and the others.
Aside from Goku, he didn't consider any of them worth mentioning.
They were ants.
If killing them pushed Gohan over the edge, all the better.
"You can't do this!" Gohan cried out, panic flooding his voice.
"I can't just force myself to be angry—!"
Cell cut him off with manic laughter.
"Then I'll make sure you are."
He stepped forward—
"Stop!"
Gohan tried to move, but he was far too weak. Cell backhanded him away with a vicious strike, sending him skidding more than ten meters.
Gohan lay there, half-conscious, struggling to stand.
Cell ignored him.
If beating him directly didn't work, then slaughtering the people he loved surely would.
It was a perfect plan.
He was just about to put it into motion—
When suddenly, a towering figure appeared behind him like an iron wall and locked him in a crushing bear hug.
Android 16.
His massive arms clamped down with overwhelming force. Then he turned his head toward Krillin and the others.
"No one come closer," he said calmly. "I've decided… to self-destruct. I'll take Cell with me."
The words struck like thunder.
Inside every Android was a powerful internal bomb, originally installed by Dr. Gero as a fail-safe in case they ever went rogue.
It was meant to ensure control.
Goku's eyes widened. He had no idea about this.
"What are you talking about?!"
Android 16's voice was steady, resolute.
"There is a self-destruct device inside me, powerful enough to wipe everything out. This battle has endangered all of you. I won't let you die because of me."
Cell froze.
As a fellow artificial lifeform, he knew exactly how terrifying that device was.
At this distance, even he wouldn't survive.
"Cell," 16 said coldly, tightening his grip, "no matter how strong you are, you'll be reduced to dust when I explode."
Cell struggled violently, but 16's strength was among the highest of the androids. With his suicide grip locking Cell in place, escape wasn't easy.
"Dr. Gero's ambition to conquer the world ends today," 16 declared.
Golden light began to radiate from his body.
Everyone held their breath.
Seconds passed.
The light faded.
Nothing happened.
"What…? Why didn't it explode?" 16 stared at himself in shock.
Krillin finally spoke, his voice heavy.
"It's because… you can't self-destruct anymore."
"I heard it from Bulma. Dr. Gero secretly removed the core bomb from your body a long time ago."
The words stunned 16.
And Cell—
Cell's fear twisted into wild laughter.
"How unfortunate, 16. I never believed your little bomb could truly kill me… but since you're so eager to die, I'll grant your wish."
Energy surged violently.
With a roar, Cell forced his body outward, breaking free from 16's grip through sheer power.
A destructive energy sphere gathered in his palm.
In the blink of an eye, he slammed it straight into 16's abdomen.
BOOOOOOM!
Before anyone could react, Android 16's massive body erupted in a blinding explosion, bursting into fragments of fire and shattered metal under the horrified gazes of everyone present.
"....."