c26: VS Son Goten
"What? That's embarrassing. Although you may be stronger than me, don't get carried away! Even if I can't defeat you outright, don't underestimate me!"
Son Goten clenched his fists tightly and glared at Lin Hao, the same competitive fire that once made him rival Trunks in the Junior Division of the Tenkaichi Budokai flickering in his eyes.
Lin Hao only smirked. "It's not that I underestimate you, Goten. I'm telling the truth. I don't even need to become a Super Saiyan to deal with you. If you don't believe me, you're welcome to try."
"Damn it, you're looking down on me that much? Fine then, I'll let you taste my real power!"
With a sharp cry, Goten's aura flared violently. Golden light burst around his body, his hair spiking up and shimmering with brilliance. His eyes shifted to a sharper emerald, the sign of the Super Saiyan that even Goku once praised him for mastering so young.
"Ahhh!"
His ki shook the ground beneath them as he darted forward. To ordinary eyes, his speed would have been invisible, the same blinding swiftness he displayed against Trunks years ago. But Lin Hao's expression didn't waver in the slightest.
Shu!
Goten's fist roared through the air, yet Lin Hao tilted his body just enough to let the punch graze past him. Almost instantly, Goten twisted his hips and swung a fierce roundhouse kick, but Lin Hao moved with ease, stepping aside as if his opponent's movements were in slow motion.
"Your strength is still far too weak. If you hope to hit me like that, you're twenty thousand years too early."
Lin Hao's calm taunts cut deeper than any blow.
"Damn it, you're mocking me!" Goten snarled, his aura erupting brighter, sparks of golden ki whipping around him. His speed increased, fists and legs blurring with each strike. But no matter how relentless his barrage became, Lin Hao slipped through every opening, untouched.
"Impossible…! He's dodging everything as if he can see the future. Who is this guy? Why can't I land a single hit?"
Goten faltered for an instant, chest heaving from the rapid exchange. Lin Hao's lips curved into a cold smile.
"Since your assault is finished… now it's my turn."
In the blink of an eye, Lin Hao appeared before him. No energy blast, no fancy technique—just a direct, devastating punch aimed at Goten's guard.
"So fast!" Goten's eyes widened, barely managing to cross his arms in front of him before the blow landed.
BOOM!
The sheer impact sent shockwaves rippling across the field. Goten skidded backward, his boots carving deep trenches into the hard ground as he was forced back hundreds of meters.
"What… what a terrifying punch…! This is his power in base form alone?"
Pain lanced through his arms, now trembling and numb from the impact. Goten's expression hardened as the truth sank in Lin Hao wasn't bluffing. His power was overwheming.
Lin Hao advanced again, his presence pressing down like a mountain. "You've grown soft from peaceful days, Goten. Let me remind you this world still demands strength."
He vanished, reappearing in front of him. His right leg swung upward in a vicious arc.
"Damn it!"
The force of the kick was so intense that even the air pressure before contact rattled Goten's senses. He raised his arms in a desperate guard.
"You still underestimate me!"
WHAM!
The kick slammed into him, launching his body backward. But Lin Hao didn't let up. He chased instantly, raining down a storm of punches, each one exploding against Goten's defense and body like thunderclaps.
"Ughhh!"
Blood sprayed from Goten's mouth as he was pummeled across the battlefield.
Looking at Son Goten, who was being relentlessly bombarded by Lin Hao, Paris stood rooted in place with a worried expression, her fists clenched tightly.
"Goten…" she whispered, her voice trembling.
Son Goten's body felt every crushing blow, each strike heavier than the last. The pain coursing through him reminded him of the harsh training days under his father and Piccolo days he hadn't experienced in years.
"Ahhh!!"
His cry echoed as Lin Hao's fists hammered down, the golden aura around him flickering violently.
---
Meanwhile, in the Western Capital, inside a villa district…
In the gravity training chamber, Vegeta suddenly stopped mid-punch. His sharp eyes narrowed as he turned toward the direction of the disturbance.
"This ki…! That's the brat Goten's anger. But why is it so unstable? Who the hell is he fighting with!?"
Vegeta clenched his fists, sweat beading on his forehead. From his perspective, Goten's Super Saiyan power was active, yet his energy continued to plummet at an alarming rate.
"When did such a strong warrior appear on Earth? Is it a remnant of Majin Buu's chaos… or some new enemy?"
But the thought vanished as Goten's ki dipped again, flickering like a candle about to go out.
"No… at this rate, he'll collapse. Damn it, that idiot! I have to go see for myself!"
Vegeta scowled, deactivating the gravity controls with a sharp click before storming out of the chamber.
---
Baozi Mountain.
In the Son household, Gohan sat at his desk, reading over lecture notes, when suddenly his expression froze. His brow furrowed as he sensed the drastic drop in Goten's energy.
"What the…? Goten's ki… it's being overwhelmed. Who's he fighting? That power doesn't feel familiar at all."
He pushed back his chair, rushing to the door. "Videl, something's wrong with Goten. I have to go!" Without another word, he shot into the sky, his aura blazing as he sped toward the disturbance.
---
Back near the outskirts of West City…
Goten was panting heavily, sweat pouring down his face. His golden aura sputtered out, his hair falling back to black as his body gave out under Lin Hao's relentless assault. His breathing was ragged; his stamina had been pushed to the brink.
Lin Hao crossed his arms, looking down at the boy with calm disappointment.
"What a letdown. Son Goten, is this all you've got? Not even a fraction— not even one-tenth—of Son Goku's strength. As a Saiyan, your performance is pathetic."
His words cut deep, but Goten didn't protest. His shoulders sagged, his fists trembling. Deep down, he knew the truth of Lin Hao's judgment.
Lin Hao was about to continue speaking when his eyes suddenly shifted. He sensed it two strong and familiar ki signatures racing toward him at high speed.
"…Hmph. They're here."
Moments later, two streaks of light descended from the sky. The ground shook as Vegeta and Gohan landed side by side, their gazes immediately locking onto the battered Goten.
"Goten! Are you okay? What happened!?" Gohan shouted, rushing to his brother's side and helping him up.
"It's… it's okay, brother," Goten coughed, his body aching. "I was with Paris when this guy showed up out of nowhere and challenged me…"
"Tch. Worthless brat." Vegeta's voice cut like a blade. He stood with arms crossed, his face twisted in scorn. "I've told you countless times to keep up your training, yet you waste your talent chasing girls. Now look at you—humiliated like this in front of an enemy. Disgraceful for a Saiyan."
His scowl deepened. "You and Trunks… you had the greatest potential since childhood. You both reached Super Saiyan at seven years old something even Kakarot and I couldn't achieve at that age. And yet, instead of surpassing us, you let yourselves rot in laziness. Pathetic!"
Goten lowered his head, shame flooding his chest. Vegeta's words stung because they were true. If he and Trunks had kept training, their names would rank among the strongest fighters in the universe, maybe even beyond. Instead, he had let comfort and distraction dull his edge.
And now, before Paris, the girl he was trying to impress he had been utterly defeated.
---