Chapter 35: The Saiyan's Strategy
The sky above Kami's Lookout stretched endlessly, an ocean of blue hovering above the Z Fighters as they gathered near the entrance of the Hyperbolic Time Chamber. The tension in the air was thick, heavy with unspoken concerns and the growing weight of Cell's looming challenge.
Goku looked at the others, arms crossed, his face unusually serious. "Alright, everyone. We only have ten days until the Cell Games. That's not a lot of time. But with this…" He gestured toward the massive door behind him. "We can make every second count."
"The Hyperbolic Time Chamber," Piccolo murmured. "So, this is your plan?"
Goku nodded. "Inside, time moves differently. One year in there equals a single day out here."
Krillin let out a low whistle. "Man, a whole year of training in one day? That sounds brutal."
Vegeta smirked. "It's exactly what we need."
Goku turned to Kara, who stood beside him with an unreadable expression. "Kara, you already trained in there for three years, right?"
She nodded. "Yeah. Before the Saiyan invasion. Kami trained me."
That got everyone's attention.
"Wait, what?" Krillin blinked.
Piccolo's eyes narrowed. "Kami trained you?"
Kara shrugged. "Yeah. He wanted me to understand my own limits and refine my power before the Saiyans arrived. The chamber pushed me further than anything I had done before."
Trunks frowned. "Three years? That's… a lot of training."
"I needed it," Kara said simply. "And that's not all."
She raised her hand, summoning a faint golden aura around her fingers before letting it coat her entire body. It wasn't her usual Kryptonian glow—it was ki.
Kami had taught her how to harness her ki in ways even Kryptonians hadn't explored.
"This is my ki shield," she explained. "Kami helped me develop it. I can layer it over my body to block attacks—even Kryptonite radiation. That weakness is gone."
The group stared at her in shock.
Yamcha let out a breath. "Wait, hold on. You're telling me Kryptonite doesn't work on you anymore?"
Kara smirked. "Not unless I let my guard down."
Krillin turned to Piccolo, nudging him. "Okay, did you know about this?"
Piccolo crossed his arms. "No, but it makes sense. Kami would have wanted her at full strength before the Saiyans arrived."
Vegeta scoffed. "Tch. So, you're even more durable than before. Not bad."
Goku grinned. "That just means we can push even harder in training."
Kara smirked. "That's what I was hoping for."
Meanwhile, across the world, terror unfolded as Cell's chilling voice echoed through every screen and speaker on the planet.
"People of Earth," the bio-android's voice rang out, sending shivers down the spines of all who listened.
On televisions, radios, and even digital billboards, Cell's monstrous visage appeared, standing in the middle of a massive, newly-constructed ring.
"In ten days, I will be hosting a little event I like to call the Cell Games." His smirk was filled with wicked amusement. "A grand tournament where the strongest fighters of this planet will have a chance to defeat me. But let me be clear… I do not expect anyone to win."
The camera panned to a devastated city behind him, remnants of the latest town he had annihilated. Bodies lay motionless in the rubble, a grim reminder of his power.
"The rules are simple: one-on-one combat. No weapons. No outside help. If someone manages to defeat me, I will spare your pathetic world. But if you all fail…" He chuckled darkly, his tail twitching with anticipation. "Then I will do to Earth what I did to this city."
The screen cut to static, and the world was left in terrified silence.
Back at Kami's Lookout, the Z Fighters watched grimly.
"He's playing with us," Piccolo growled.
Goku's expression darkened. "Yeah… but we're gonna play back."
With that, the group finalized their training order. Vegeta and Trunks would go first, while Goku and Kara would enter next.
The heavy doors of the Hyperbolic Time Chamber creaked open, revealing an endless white void stretching infinitely in all directions. The sheer emptiness was disorienting, but for Vegeta and Trunks, it was exactly what they needed.
The moment the doors shut behind them, Vegeta wasted no time.
"Listen, boy," he said, his tone sharp as he turned to Trunks. "We have only one goal in here—to surpass Kakarot. If we can do that, then Cell is as good as dead."
Trunks nodded, determination burning in his eyes. "I won't hold back."
Vegeta smirked. "Good. Because neither will I."
What followed was a relentless assault of training. Trunks had never experienced anything like it. The extreme gravity pushed his body to its limits, and Vegeta showed no mercy. Day after day, they fought, sweat drenching their bodies as they exchanged brutal blows.
Trunks, though powerful, struggled to keep up with Vegeta's sheer ferocity. But each time he fell, he got back up. His father's pride and expectations drove him forward, pushing him beyond anything he had ever known.
By the time their year in the chamber ended, both had grown far stronger than before. As they stepped out, Vegeta smirked, arms crossed. "Cell won't know what hit him."
Trunks, now more confident than ever, glanced toward the chamber doors. "Good luck in there," he said to Goku and Kara.
Goku grinned. "Thanks, Trunks. Let's do this, Kara."
Kara nodded, stepping inside with him.
The moment the doors shut, the chamber's oppressive environment pressed down on them.
The air was heavier. The gravity was suffocating. The endless white void stretched forever.
Goku rolled his shoulders. "Still feels the same."
Kara smirked. "You get used to it."
They wasted no time.
From the first moment, Goku pushed Kara harder than ever. Their clashes sent shockwaves rippling through the chamber. Each attack tested their limits. Each moment was a battle to surpass their own strength.
Kara had already trained in the chamber before, but this was different.
Goku forced her to react faster, think sharper, and refine her ki control to a level she had never reached before.
Kara, in turn, forced Goku to adjust. She was stronger, faster, and more resilient than almost any opponent he had faced. He had to become better just to keep up.
For months, they fought, trained, recovered, and fought again. They never slowed down.
Training wasn't the only thing they did in the chamber. With an entire year inside, they had to eat—a lot.
Goku and Kara had been living together for years, and cooking for each other had become second nature. They both enjoyed it, taking turns preparing meals, experimenting with new dishes, and playfully critiquing each other's work.
One evening, as Goku stirred a massive pot of rice, Kara leaned against the counter with a smirk. "You and your rice obsession."
Goku grinned. "What? It goes with everything."
Kara chuckled, shaking her head as she pulled out ingredients. "Alright, but you've been eating the same thing for weeks. Let me handle tonight."
Goku stepped aside with a smile, watching as she got to work. "Fine, fine. But I'm still making breakfast tomorrow."
That night, Kara prepared a full spread—grilled meat, vegetables, and a side of her own version of a Kryptonian dish adapted for Earth's ingredients.
Goku took one bite and let out a satisfied hum. "Man, you always find a way to make things interesting."
Kara smirked. "And you always eat like you haven't seen food in years."
Goku chuckled. "It's a compliment!"
From then on, their routine continued—grueling training sessions during the day, then winding down with a home-cooked meal, sharing moments of laughter and quiet companionship.
After finishing their meal one night, they sat together on the floor, leaning against the chamber's wall. Kara rested her head on Goku's shoulder, her body warm against his.
"This place really makes you appreciate real food," she murmured.
Goku chuckled, running a hand through his hair. "Yeah, but I think I like your cooking better than anything outside."
Kara smirked. "You just like food in general."
He grinned. "That too."
The silence between them was familiar, comfortable. After three years of living together, fighting together, and pushing each other beyond their limits, they didn't need words to fill the space.
Kara turned her face slightly, looking up at him. "You've been tense lately," she noted.
Goku blinked. "Huh?"
She raised an eyebrow. "Come on, Goku. I know you. You've been overthinking everything."
He exhaled, rubbing the back of his neck. "Yeah… I guess I have."
She shifted, moving to straddle his lap, her hands resting on his shoulders. "Then stop thinking for a while."
Before he could reply, she leaned in, pressing her lips against his.
The kiss wasn't rushed or desperate—it was familiar, natural. Something they had done a thousand times before, yet it never lost its spark. Goku responded immediately, his arms wrapping around her waist, pulling her closer.
Kara's fingers slid into his wild hair, tugging slightly as she deepened the kiss. He let out a quiet hum against her lips, the tension he'd been carrying slowly melting away.
She could feel the heat of his skin, the strength beneath his grip, the steady rhythm of his heartbeat against hers. Even after years together, he still made her stomach flutter, still made her feel like she was caught in the middle of an intense fight—except this time, neither of them were trying to win.
Goku's hands roamed up her back, his fingers pressing into her toned muscles, grounding himself in the moment. She tilted her head, letting him take control for a moment, his lips trailing down her jaw, slow and deliberate.
A soft sigh escaped her. "See? Much better than overthinking."
He chuckled against her skin. "Yeah… you might be right."
She smirked, threading her fingers through his hair again. "I'm always right."
He grinned, capturing her lips again, this time with more urgency. The chamber, the training, the battle ahead—none of it mattered right now.
For now, it was just them.
And for once, they weren't fighting.
One evening, after an intense battle, Goku sat across from Kara, his expression serious.
His golden Super Saiyan aura flickered briefly before shifting into a brilliant red glow.
Kara raised an eyebrow. "Kaio-Ken?"
Goku nodded. "I've been waiting for the right time to teach you this."
She smirked. "I thought Kaio-Ken was too dangerous for long-term use?"
Goku chuckled. "For most people, yeah. But you? You heal faster. Your body is built differently. If anyone can handle Kaio-Ken at a high level, it's you."
Kara grinned. "Alright, then. Show me how it's done."
At first, she struggled. The strain was overwhelming, even with her Kryptonian physiology.
But she adapted.
Within weeks, she mastered Kaio-Ken x5 and was already pushing past it.
Goku grinned. "I knew you could do it."
Kara wiped sweat from her brow. "You don't give easy lessons, do you?"
He chuckled. "Not when I know my student can handle it."
It happened on the final weeks of their training.
Kara had been sleeping when a massive shockwave shook the chamber. The air crackled with electricity, and a golden light illuminated the void.
She shot up, eyes wide, turning toward the source.
Goku stood at the center of a raging storm of energy. His body trembled, his fists clenched, his golden hair standing even taller than before.
Lightning danced around him.
His breathing was ragged, and his eyes burned with an intensity Kara had never seen before.
Kara stepped forward cautiously. "Goku…?"
He didn't seem to hear her.
His mind was elsewhere.
He saw Krillin and Piccolo fall.
He saw Trunks defeated.
And then, in the most vivid nightmare of all—he saw Cell killing Kara.
Her lifeless body crumpled to the ground.
His heart stopped.
"No," he whispered.
The rage exploded.
His aura erupted, shaking the entire chamber. The light from his transformation blinded Kara for a moment, forcing her to shield her eyes.
Then, as the light settled, she saw him.
Goku stood there, his golden aura now crackling with electricity. His hair wilder, sharper, glowing with an uncontainable power.
The sheer force of his presence made the ground beneath them tremble.
Kara stared. "Goku… you've ascended."
His fists clenched at his sides, his breath slow and controlled. He exhaled, the power surging through him unlike anything he had ever felt before.
"This… this is what I needed," he murmured.
But after a long moment, his smile faded.
"…It's not enough."
Kara frowned. "What?"
Goku exhaled. "Cell has Kryptonian DNA. That means he has your strength, your speed… but without your weaknesses."
Kara's eyes narrowed.
Goku clenched his fists. "If I fight him alone, I might not be able to stop him."
He looked at her, his golden aura still crackling with power.
"I have a plan. I'll fight him first, wear him down, and then…" His golden eyes locked onto hers.
"You're going to finish him."
Kara inhaled slowly, then smirked. "Alright then. Let's do this."
After an entire year inside the chamber, the heavy doors finally creaked open again.
Goku and Kara stepped out, radiating power.
Vegeta narrowed his eyes. "So. You finally figured it out, Kakarot?"
Goku smirked. "Yeah. I did."
Piccolo crossed his arms. "So? Are we ready for Cell?"
Kara grinned, her confidence unshakable. "More than ready."
Goku cracked his knuckles. "Cell won't know what hit him."
To be continued...
Author Note:
Updated the chapter to show Cell announcing the Cell Games to the world.