Dragon Ball Z: The Beast Within - CH24

[Escarot POV]

As soon as the power ball hit the air. The power surged through me. 

My muscles tensed, my skin burned, my bones ached as my body expanded, fur spreading across my entire body. My breathing grew heavier, deeper, and my vision sharper, as energy crackled around me, demanding to be unleashed.

Transformation complete, I took a step forward. My hands clenched into fists as my tail lashed behind me hitting the ground, making the island we were on tremble.

Slug tilted his head, unimpressed. "That didn’t work before, brat, but I’ll humor you," he muttered.

Then, his body expanded.

With a crazed laugh, his body began to expand, muscles stretching and pulsing as his green skin tightened over his bulging form. His cape tore apart, shredded under the pressure of his growing mass, all while somehow, keeping the rest of his clothes intact.

Within seconds, we were eye to eye.

I grinned, baring my fangs. 

One of the downsides of the Great Ape was the fact that it was hard fighting people smaller than you. The fact Slug had decided to match my tune, made this easier for me.

Slug rolled his shoulders, cracking his neck. "Let’s see what you’ve got, little monkey."

I didn’t wait.

I charged.

The ground shattered beneath my feet as I lunged forward, closing the distance in a single step. My fist swung wide, aiming straight for Slug’s head.

But he intercepted it, his fingers wrapping around my fist, stopping my attack dead in its tracks. My arm tensed, muscles straining, but Slug held firm.

Then, in the blink of an eye, he countered.

His knee slamming into my gut, forcing the air from my lungs, followed by his fist crashing into my jaw, snapping my head sideways.

I staggered back, growling as my tail whipped around, aiming to take his legs out from under him.

Unfortunately, he saw it coming, and jumped, dropping his right heel toward my skull.

I raised my arm.

His foot slammed into my forearm, sending a shockwave through my bones. My stance faltered, my feet digging trenches into the ground as I slid back.

Slug smirked. "That all?"

I wiped my mouth. "Not even close."

My tail shot forward again, but this time, I didn’t aim for his legs.

I went for his neck.

Slug barely had time to react before my tail wrapped around his throat. His eyes widened in surprise. I yanked—hard.

His body lurched forward, completely off-balance.

Now I had him.

I pulled him in, cocking my arm back, and swung.

My fist crashed into his ribs with a brutal boom, the impact shaking the ground beneath us. Slug coughed, his body bending slightly from the force.

Before he could recover, I launched my other fist into his stomach, following up with a quick but powerful blast to the chest.

Slug flew back, tumbling across the battlefield, crushing stone and trees in his path.

I pounded my chest, my roar shaking the landscape.

"Tch. You actually hit hard, it seems you grew quite powerful after our first encounter," he admitted, rolling his shoulders, as he stood up. "Good. Let’s pick up the pace."

He vanished.

My eyes widened.

Then—pain.

His elbow drove into my spine, forcing me forward. I barely had time to turn before his fist crashed into my head. The world blurred, my vision tilting.

I swung wildly, but he was already gone.

Then—a knee to my ribs.

Another hit to my jaw.

A brutal hammer-fist to my back.

I stumbled, the ground cracking beneath my weight.

“That hurt,” I muttered, pushing myself up.

I steadied myself, exhaling. My tail curled behind me, my hands flexing. Fine. If he wanted to move like that, I just had to catch him first.

He rushed in again, aiming for my ribs.

This time, I was ready.

I twisted, my tail snapping up at the last second. It wrapped around his arm mid-strike.

His smirk vanished.

I yanked—harder than before.

His body lurched forward, and I didn’t waste the opening. My knee drove into his stomach. His breath hitched.

Then, I grabbed his shoulders and slammed my forehead into his face.

Crack.

Slug staggered back, clutching his bleeding nose.

I didn’t let him breathe.

My fist cocked back, ki surging, and I drove it forward with everything I had.

The impact erupted, sending Slug skidding back, his feet digging deep trenches into the dirt.

I grinned.

“By the way… thank you for almost killing me, you saved me months of training," I taunted.

Slug exhaled, shaking out his arms. Blood dripping from his nose. He wiped it away, rolling his neck.

His smirk returned.

"You’re welcome, but don’t get ahead of yourself, Saiyan, we’re just getting started."

I launched forward.

He did the same.

Another collision.

The force shook the planet.

But this time, I wasn’t going in blind.

I had a plan.

And it was time to put it into motion.

Moving fast, I slammed my fist into Slug’s jaw.

He barely flinched.

Instead, he buried his fist into my gut.

I gasped. The force of the hit sent shockwaves through my ribs, and the area, cracking the earth around as I skidded back, boots tearing into the dirt. Slug pressed forward, not giving me a second to recover. His knee rocketed toward my ribs—I barely managed to block, my forearm catching the brunt of the impact.

Even blocked, it hurt.

A lot.

He was still stronger than me.

I was using the power of the Great Ape and Surge, and he still had an edge over me. Not as massive as before, but enough to make a difference.

Not only that, he had much more experience than me.

He was fast, sharp, and he hit like a damn planet was behind his fists.

I gritted my teeth, shaking off the sting as I twisted, my tail whipping toward his legs again. But this time, he was ready.

His hand shot down, catching my tail mid-strike.

Shit.

Before I could react, he yanked.

“THAT HURTS!” I roared, as my balance broke instantly.

Slug used my own momentum against me, hurling me over his shoulder by the tail. My body flipped mid-air before he slammed me into the ground, splitting the earth beneath me, as rubble and dust shot into the sky.

I tried to push up, but Slug was not done with me, his hands raised together.

"Die!" he said, and brought both fists down.

I rolled at the last second.

His hands slammed into the earth, the impact shaking the entire place as a deep crater formed where my head had been seconds ago. 

I used the opening, kicking off the ground, twisting mid-air, and launching a Ki blast straight into his face.

The explosion sent him flying back.

I landed on all fours, breathing heavily.

Alright. Despite of how much fun I was having, I needed to rethink my approach.

I couldn’t let my Saiyan instincts drive me to a cliff.

Slug wasn’t just stronger than me. He was slightly faster too, and clearly more experienced. My Zenkai boost wasn’t enough to make up for that gap, and I doubted he would allow me a second boost. 

I wasn’t winning a brawl. Not like this.

In a contest of pure strength, he would win. Fortunately for me, our power was not so far apart that I couldn’t win with a good strategy.

Meaning I could enjoy this fight a little bit longer, before abusing his weakness.

Slug wiped his face, cracking his neck. His eyes narrowed. "Tch. Lucky dodge."

I charged—then disappeared.

I moved around him in bursts, quick dashes left and right, never staying in one place for more than half a second. I needed to break his rhythm. Force him to react to me.

Slug’s eyes followed me, his stance shifting, preparing for an attack from any angle. I faked left—he moved. I blurred to his right—he spun to counter.

But I wasn’t there.

Until I was.

I dropped low, kicking off the ground with everything I had.

I launched myself upward, my knee colliding into his jaw.

His head snapped back.

I followed up immediately, my tail wrapping around his wrist, locking him in place.

I twisted, flipping over his back—and drove my elbow into the back of his skull.

He stumbled forward.

But I wasn’t done.

I landed, spun, and fired a point-blank Ki blast into his ribs.

BOOM.

Slug grunted, his body skidding back from the force of the explosion.

I exhaled, rolling my shoulders. That felt good.

Slug straightened. "Not bad." He wiped a small trickle of blood from the side of his mouth. "But it won’t happen again."

I barely had time to react before his knee slammed into my ribs.

I felt something crack.

Then—his elbow crashed into my spine.

Pain exploded through my back. My vision blurred. Before I could recover, his fingers wrapped around my throat.

I was off the ground.

I struggled, clawing at his grip, but it was like trying to break a steel vise. His red eyes gleamed. "You’ve got talent, I’ll give you that." His grip tightened. "But I’m done playing, it’s time for you to die!"

Then—he threw me.

I flew.

The air ripped around me as I crashed through a rock formation, my body bouncing off the ground, skidding for what felt like miles before slamming into a cliffside, only to be greeted by a massive explosion of ki that destroyed miles around me, scorching everything.

Alright. That hurt.

I pushed myself up, wiping the blood from my mouth.

I had my fun.

Time to whistle the fuck out of him.

—------------------------------------------------------

[Third Person POV.]

As Escarot stood up, Slug approached him, cracking his neck, rolling his shoulders. "You’re still alive? Impressive." 

His voice was calm, but his patience was wearing thin. He had been enjoying this, but now? Now it was time to crush this little pest. Then… Namek would follow.

Escarot tilted his head. "I’m extra durable."

Then, without warning—the giant ape began to whistle. A sharp, high-pitched note cut through the air, loud enough to be heard around him, and strong enough to hit Slug’s sensitive Namekian ears.

Slug's entire body tensed. His eyes twitched. His muscles locked up for a fraction of a second—and that was all Escarot needed.

The Saiyan lunged forward, closing the distance in an instant. His fist slamming into Slug’s gut, folding him over. Before the Namekian could recover, Escarot whistled again, sharper this time, keeping the pressure on.

Slug winced. His balance wavered.

Escarot capitalized immediately—his tail wrapped around Slug’s leg, yanking him off his feet. Slug hit the ground hard, the impact shaking the landscape.

Escarot didn’t stop. He fired a ki blast straight into Slug’s face.

BOOM.

The explosion swallowed the Namekian whole. Smoke and debris shot into the air, dirt and stone raining down over the battlefield.

Escarot exhaled, rolling his shoulders. "That’s working better than I expected."

Then—movement.

Slug burst from the smoke, eyes burning with rage. His hand shot forward, energy flaring in his palm.

Escarot whistled again.

Slug flinched mid-attack. His blast veered slightly off course, missing Escarot by inches, carving a deep trench into the ground instead.

Escarot used the opening, slamming his knee into Slug’s jaw. The Namekian’s head snapped back. But Escarot wasn’t letting up as he followed through with a brutal uppercut to the gut, and a crushing tail whip to the ribs

Slug skidded back, grinding his feet into the dirt to stop himself. He snarled, wiping blood from his mouth.

"You little—"

Escarot whistled.

Slug’s whole body tensed again. His breathing hitched. His hands clenched into fists, nails digging into his own palms.

It was working.

Escarot kept moving, refusing to let Slug get a moment to breathe. He blurred from sight, appearing behind him. His hands crackled with ki. A rapid flurry of energy blasts rained down, pounding into Slug’s back, forcing him forward.

Slug whipped around, swinging blindly. But his movements were off—his precision slipping.

Escarot grinned, whistling between his teeth.

Slug growled in pain. His hands shot up, clutching at his ears. "Damn you!"

Escarot grinned wider. "What’s the matter? Sound too much for you?"

Slug’s aura flared violently, a massive shockwave erupting around him, shattering the ground. He was done playing.

"If you won’t stop making that insufferable sound—" His eyes darkened. "I’ll just rip out my damn ears."

Escarot’s grin vanished.

Oh hell no.

Before Slug’s hands could reach his own ears, Escarot moved.

He roared forward, fists flying. Slug barely had time to react before a devastating right hook smashed into his ribs.

Then—another whistle.

Slug’s grip on his ear hesitated.

Escarot didn’t let up. He slammed his forehead into Slug’s face, then drove his elbow into the Namekian’s throat.

Slug gagged, stumbling back. His hands dropped from his ears, going to his throat instead.

Escarot said. "Can’t have you ripping your ears off, just yet."

Slug’s rage boiled over. His entire body surged with power, his aura flaring, the sky trembling under his sheer force.

"ENOUGH!"

The explosion of energy sent Escarot skidding backward.

Slug panted, chest heaving. His hands clenched into fists. He couldn’t let this damn monkey control the fight.

No more.

Slug’s eyes narrowed. "You’re not going to get away with that again."

Escarot shrugged. "We’ll see."

Then—he whistled again.

Slug endured it. His body tensed, his eyes flickering, but this time—he moved through it.

Escarot’s grin faltered.

Shit.

Slug lunged.

His fist buried itself into Escarot’s gut.

“That won’t work anymore!” Slug hissed.

Escarot coughed, and then with a blood covered smile, he leaned forward and whistled.

“Arghhhh!” Slug screamed, losing his focus only for Escarot to kick him away.

Slug staggered back, his ears ringing, his vision swimming. The constant, piercing whistle tore through his skull like a blade, shaking his balance, dulling his reactions.

He refused to be defeated…. By such a strategy! He was the strongest being in the universe! Nothing should be able to stop him!

Escarot stood tall, grinning as his tail flicked behind him, his knuckles cracked, and his teeth bared in an almost feral smirk.

“It worked just fine,” Escarot taunted, tilting his head. “For a moment there I almost believed you.”

Slug’s body trembled with rage. His fingers twitched, ki surging wildly around him, but no matter how much power he gathered, no matter how much he tried to concentrate—

The sound.

That damn sound wouldn’t stop. It was like a thousand needles to his brain!

“ENOUGH!” Slug roared, his aura erupting in a desperate wave, blasting the ground beneath him into dust.

He charged forward, swinging wildly, his fists moving faster, hitting harder, each strike shaking the battlefield. Escarot dodged the first, blocked the second, but the third slammed into his ribs, forcing a grunt from his throat.

Slug capitalized, twisting his body and driving his knee into Escarot’s side, sending the Saiyan skidding back.

Escarot exhaled sharply. “That’s it! Keep at it!”

Then—he whistled again.

Slug’s whole body jerked. His muscles spasmed. His breath hitched in his throat as another wave of sharp, unbearable pain shot through his skull.

Escarot didn’t waste the moment.

He shot forward, vanishing from Slug’s sight, and before the Namekian could react—

BOOM.

A massive fist smashed into his jaw, followed by a barrage of attacks that ended with a point blank ki blast to his chest.

Slug coughed, spitting blood, his body folding from the impact.

Wasting no window of opportunity, Escarot’s tail lashed out, wrapping around Slug’s ankle, and before Slug could realize what was happening, the Great Ape yanked him off his feet, swinging him overhead, slamming him into the ground, cracking the earth.

Slug’s body bounced from the sheer force of the impact, and before he could recover, Escarot was already above him, fists raised.

BOOM.

A brutal double hammer-fist drove into Slug’s chest, the sheer force forming a massive crater beneath them.

Slug gasped, his body convulsing from the impact, but Escarot wasn’t done.

Wasting no time, he grabbed Slug’s arm—

And with a smile, ripped it clean off.

Slug let out a brutal scream, his blood splattering across the ground. His remaining hand clutched at his shoulder, his face contorted in agony.

Escarot muttered. “Regenerate from that, asshole.”

Slug’s breath was ragged, his entire form trembling, his once overwhelming presence now flickering, barely holding on. He tried to force himself up, to summon what little power he had left—

But Escarot grabbed him by the throat.

Lifted him off the ground.

Slug thrashed, his one remaining hand clawing at the Saiyan’s grip, but it was useless.

Escarot exhaled. “You know,” he mused, tightening his hold, “If you hadn’t been so cruel, and had just killed me instead of leaving me to suffer, you would’ve won… this is on you.”

Then, his grip crushed down—

And with a sickening crunch—

He snapped Slug’s neck.

Slug’s body twitched once. Then—went limp.

Escarot held the lifeless Namekian for a second, staring at the corpse, before tossing it aside like trash.

“Just in case,” Escarot muttered, raising his hand, as he gathered his energy, golden light crackling in his palm. The air around him shifted, the force of his ki whipping up debris, shaking the ground beneath him. The energy condensed, growing brighter, hotter, the sheer force making the ground tremble.

Slug’s lifeless body lay in the crater, his single remaining arm sprawled out, his head twisted at an unnatural angle. His mouth hung open, his eyes dull, lifeless.

Escarot didn’t hesitate.

He fired.

A massive beam of energy erupted from his palm, tearing through the air, slamming directly into Slug’s corpse. The ground beneath the body split apart from the force, a deafening explosion shaking the entire battlefield.

For a moment, there was nothing but light.

A blinding, scorching glow that engulfed everything in its path. The explosion roared like a violent storm, flames and energy swirling together in a chaotic inferno.

By the time the smoke cleared.

Nothing remained.

No body. No scraps of flesh. No trace of Slug at all.

Just scorched earth and a massive crater where he once lay.

---------------------------------------------------------

Power Level Section:

Escarot: 50,000 > 244,000 (Zenkai)

• Escarot + Surge: 305,000

• Escarot + Great Ape + Surge: 3,050,000.

Slug (Young): 3,300,000

• Slug (Weakened By Whistle): 2,090,000.