NOVEL NEXT Chapter 41: Power
Mori floated through the vast expanse of space, his mind wrestling with the aftermath of his fight against Vegeta. The silence of the cosmos was a stark contrast to the brutal clashes that had just transpired. "That form of his," he mused, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "Super Saiyan 3—it pushed me to use at least 90% of my strength. And that's without tapping into the abilities I gained from the Otherworld." His thoughts grew deeper, considering the true depths of his opponents' powers.
"If Vegeta can reach that level, then it's likely Goku and Gohan can too. But… I could sense they're not using everything. Super Saiyan 2 and 3 aren't their limits. Just how strong are they? Can I really beat them?"
As these questions circled his mind, he glanced at the glowing orb of the moon and decided to make it his temporary perch. He descended to the barren lunar surface, landing softly in a crater. The distant blue Earth hovered in the sky, a reminder of the battles yet to come. Sitting down, Mori folded his legs into a meditative stance, closing his eyes to focus on his inner thoughts.
"I can't afford to underestimate them," he continued inwardly. "Vegeta was powerful, but he didn't push me past 90%. If they have more forms, stronger abilities, I need to be ready. Still… something tells me I'm not the only one with a hidden card to play."
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Back on Earth, at Capsule Corp, Goku, Vegeta, and Gohan were seated on the balcony, devouring an impressive spread of food, courtesy of Bulma and Chi-Chi. Despite the looming threat of the masked man, Saiyan hunger knew no pause. The trio ate heartily, but their thoughts were heavy with the events that had unfolded in their recent battles.
Gohan, in particular, was deep in thought, his brow furrowed. After a moment, he turned to Vegeta, breaking the silence that had settled over them. "Vegeta," Gohan asked, curiosity piqued, "how was the fight with the masked man when you were in your Super Saiyan 3 state?"
Vegeta paused mid-bite, grunting as he recalled the battle. "We were even," he admitted, his voice gruff. "But then he unleashed more power. Enough to overwhelm me… though just barely." His tone carried a hint of irritation, a sign of how much the encounter had affected his pride.
Gohan nodded thoughtfully, processing Vegeta's words. Meanwhile, Goku, always one to look on the bright side, took a large gulp of water before chiming in. "So, unless he has some hidden power we haven't seen yet, he can't hold us off if we go all out. If two of us transform to Super Saiyan 3, the third can stay in Super Saiyan 2 and conserve energy."
Gohan nodded, understanding the strategy, though his expression remained serious. "That might work, Dad," he said, "but we need to be cautious. If what Vegeta says is true, and this masked man is waiting for us to be in public or with someone who can't fight, then we're vulnerable. Vegeta," Gohan continued, turning to the Saiyan prince, "you should be extra careful. Dad and I stick together, so we're less likely to be caught off guard. But you… you're more likely to be attacked."
Vegeta grunted, acknowledging Gohan's logic with a simple nod, though his mind was already brimming with thoughts of how to best the masked man in their next encounter. Goku, however, was already planning to sneak off the first chance he got to have another go at the mysterious fighter. Gohan caught a glimpse of his father's mischievous grin and rolled his eyes, knowing full well that Goku wouldn't heed his warning.
After finishing their meal, Goku and Gohan rose from the table, gathering Chi-Chi and Goten to head back to their mountain home. Vegeta remained on the balcony, watching them leave, his mind still running through the battle and what lay ahead.
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Back on the moon, Mori remained in deep meditation, his senses reaching out across the cosmos. The stillness of space was soothing, allowing him to think more clearly. But soon, something interrupted his peace—Goku and Gohan had separated from Vegeta. A smirk tugged at the corners of his mouth beneath his mask. "Perfect timing."
Rising from his seated position, Mori dusted himself off and pulled the mask over his face once again. Without wasting another moment, he vanished, teleporting directly to Goku. Before the Saiyan could react, Mori grabbed him by the collar and hurled him across the sky, sending him crashing through a mountain range. Not a second later, Mori appeared beside Gohan, gripping him tightly before teleporting them both to the other side of the planet, far away from any potential reinforcements.
Gohan struggled against Mori's grip, finally managing to break free. He backed up, his eyes scanning the masked figure. "Who are you?!" he demanded, his voice filled with both frustration and confusion. But Mori remained silent, only raising a hand and pointing at Gohan, then tapping his head. The meaning was clear—he wanted Gohan to transform.
Gohan hesitated, unsure of the stranger's motives, but something about the masked man's insistence pushed him to comply. Powering up, he ascended swiftly to Super Saiyan, then pushed further into Super Saiyan 2. Lightning crackled around him as his power surged, his golden aura blazing brightly.
But Mori tilted his head slightly, unsatisfied. "Doesn't he have Super Saiyan 3?" he wondered. He began motioning with his hand, running it through imaginary long hair, indicating the longer form of Super Saiyan 3.
Gohan watched the gestures, confused at first, until it finally clicked. "He wants me to go Super Saiyan 3?" The young Saiyan sighed, but he obliged, deciding to show the masked man the extent of his power. With a deep breath, Gohan began to power up again, his muscles swelling and his hair growing longer, his aura crackling with even more intense energy.
Mori's eyes gleamed with excitement as Gohan's transformation neared completion. "He didn't slack off on his training after all," he thought, impressed by the sheer force of Gohan's power. But his excitement quickly turned into something else—unease. As Gohan's transformation finished, Mori realized something: Gohan's power had surpassed Vegeta's Super Saiyan 3 form.
"What…? He's stronger than Vegeta in this form?" Mori involuntarily took a half-step back, feeling the immense pressure of Gohan's ki. This was not what he had expected.
Gohan wasted no time. He vanished from sight, moving at speeds that Mori couldn't follow. Before he could react, Gohan's fist slammed into his face, sending him flying backward. Gohan followed up with a brutal combination of kicks to the stomach, each one more devastating than the last. The barrage ended with a powerful knee to the mask, further cracking it. Gohan grabbed Mori by the head and slammed him into the ground with tremendous force, creating a crater. Not giving him a moment's rest, Gohan flew into the sky and descended rapidly, landing a punishing knee strike to Mori's stomach, driving him deeper into the crater.
Mori lay there for a moment, groaning in pain. "The boy… he's fast… and that hurt." Despite the pain, a grin spread across his face. "This is the kind of fight I was hoping for."
With a surge of power, Mori unleashed his full strength, his aura flaring up as he matched Gohan's energy. He teleported behind Gohan, delivering a brutal punch to his lower back. Before Gohan could react, Mori appeared in front of him, landing a swift kick to the face, then grabbing Gohan's leg and swinging him around, performing a devastating lariat that sent Gohan flipping uncontrollably through the air.
But Gohan wasn't down for long. Recovering mid-air, he spun around and delivered a powerful kick toward Mori. The two exchanged blows, their kicks colliding with explosive force. Gohan's superior strength, however, won out, and Mori was sent crashing through a line of trees, skidding across the ground.
"That boy's strength... it's incredible," Mori muttered as he slowly got back to his feet. His body ached, but his excitement hadn't waned. In fact, it had only grown. "Guess it's time to show him something new."
He took a step toward Gohan, stopping about ten feet away. With a tap on the time insignia on his chest, a surge of purple energy erupted around him, his aura transforming into a swirling vortex of dark ki. The pressure in the air shifted, and Gohan immediately felt a sense of dread wash over him.
From Gohan's perspective, Mori seemed to vanish from sight. He frantically looked around, searching for the masked man's presence, but there was nothing. Then, out of nowhere, pain erupted across his body. Mori's speed(?) had increased dramatically, his strikes landing faster than Gohan could react. "What...?" Gohan barely had time to think before the world around him went black.
Just before losing consciousness, Gohan sensed the familiar ki of his father and Vegeta rapidly approaching.
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Mori stood over Gohan's unconscious body, breathing heavily from the effort. His mind raced as he assessed the situation. He could feel Goku and Vegeta's power signatures drawing closer, their energy blazing as they raced to Gohan's side.
Smiling beneath his mask, Mori whispered to himself, "That's enough for today."
With a swift motion, he teleported away, vanishing from the battlefield and reappearing on the moon, where he concealed his energy once more, hiding himself in the shadows of space.
He looked down at the distant Earth, his thoughts lingering on the battle that had just taken place. "Gohan's strength is beyond what I expected," he mused, his heart still racing from the fight. "But this is only the beginning. I'll be ready for them next time."