Dragon Ball Z: The Beast Within - CH23

[Escarot POV.]

I woke up.

Not suddenly. Not with a jolt or a gasp like some kind of dramatic idiot clawing his way back to life. I just… opened my eyes.  

Which was weird. And a bit anticlimatic.

Because last I checked, I had a hole in my chest the size of my fist.  And I had little hopes about surviving, considering the one Okara had brought to heal me was at the healing stage of healing namekian tuna.

Even then, on the slim chance I would’ve survived, I expected pain. Maybe a slow, agonizing crawl back to reality, my nerves screaming at me, my limbs too weak to move. But instead, my body felt… fine. Not perfect, but way better than it should be.

I inhaled.  

No gurgling, no stabbing pain. My lung had either grown back or was working just fine with what was left of it. My heart was still beating. My ki wasn’t flickering weakly at the edge of death. 

In fact… it felt stronger. A lot stronger.  

That was the first thing I noticed.  

The second thing?  

The Namekian kid—Okara had kidnapped—was slumped next to me, his hands still glowing faintly, his breath ragged and uneven. His entire body trembled like he had just run halfway across the planet.  

I didn’t need to ask what happened.

He had healed me. 

All the way.  

Not half-assed, not just enough to keep me alive. Fully. And that had been more than enough to drain him. 

I pushed myself up, rolling my shoulders, testing my limbs. The soreness in my muscles was already fading, and my power...  

Holy shit.  

I had definitely gotten stronger. My ki wasn’t just flowing—it was purring, surging under my skin like a wild animal pacing in a cage, waiting to be unleashed. My body felt light, sharp, hungry.  

I had never felt like this before.  

I knew Zenkai Boosts were a thing, but this was fucking insane.

“Damn,” I muttered, clenching and unclenching my fists. “I should almost thank Slug for kicking my ass.”

No one laughed.

Okara wasn’t even looking at me.  

She was staring at the sky.  

Frowning, I followed her gaze—and my stomach dropped.  

The sky wasn’t green anymore.  

It was black.

I stiffened.  

If Namek’s sky was black, that meant one thing.

Porunga had been summoned.

Which meant…

Nail lost.

For a second, I didn’t move. My fingers twitched, my breath slow and steady, but my mind was racing, piecing things together.  

I clenched my jaw.  

Did Slug kill him?  

No.  

Even now, I could still sense Nail’s energy. Weak. Faint. But there.  

Alive.  

Barely.  

But that didn’t matter, did it?  

Because Slug had won.  

And now, he was making his wish.  

I exhaled, shaking out the tension in my hands. A cold, burning pressure settled in my gut, something twisting between fury and excitement.  

I had to move. Now.  

"Okara," I said, cracking my neck. "Take the kid and go to Garlik."

She didn’t argue. Which was honestly surprising.

Didn’t even hesitate.  

She must’ve sensed it too. That this fight had gone way beyond her.

“Come on, brat,” she said, grabbing the exhausted Namekian by the collar and hoisting him onto her shoulder. He barely reacted, too drained to resist. She shot me a sharp look. “Try not to die again.”

“No promises.”  

With that, she blasted off, leaving me alone. 

I rolled my shoulders, flexing my fingers.  

Despite the situation, I felt amazing.  

The last time I had fought Slug, I had been nothing to him. A ape shaped bug to be stepped on. But now?  

Now, I was different.  

I could feel it.  

The raw power humming in my veins. The rush of my heartbeat, steady and strong. The way my muscles coiled with energy, eager to move, to fight, to win.

I wasn’t just back.

I was better.  

And the bastard that left me for dead, intentionally leaving me to suffer was about to find out firsthand how big of a mistake he made.

I crouched, gathering my ki, feeling it surge around me. The ground beneath me trembled, cracks spreading outward as my aura flared to life. My tail flicked behind me, muscles tensed, every part of me buzzing with anticipation.  

Round two.  

I launched myself forward, rocketing toward Slug's location at full speed.  

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

[Slug POV]

Finally.

After all this time.

Centuries. Decades of waiting, of searching, of building my empire from scraps while my decrepit body slowly rotted away. While my strength dwindled. While the universe forgot what true power looked like.

But now?

Now, I was about to take what was rightfully mine.

Eternal youth. My prime.

I would rule the universe forever.

Porunga’s form towered over me, his eyes locked onto mine, his massive arms crossed as he awaited my command. The sacred Dragon of my people, of Namek, summoned for me.

The other Namekians were cowering. Some on their knees, some standing in silent horror. They knew what was happening. They knew what was coming.

Guru was watching too. The old fool was trying to keep his composure, but I could see it. The flicker of regret in his eyes.

Regret that he couldn’t stop me.

That he hadn’t been able to kill me when he had the chance.

I turned my gaze back to the dragon.

The sky above us was black, the stars hidden behind the thick shroud of Porunga’s power. The wind was still. The entire planet seemed to be holding its breath.

And I spoke.

I commanded.

In the tongue of our people, in the sacred language of Namek, the words that would change my fate forever.

"Takkaraputo Popurunga Pupirittoparo! Kurotaputo Putoputo!"

Porunga’s eyes glowed bright red.

The ground trembled.

The air around me shifted, vibrating with something ancient and powerful. I felt it immediately—my body, my ki, reacting to the wish.

Then—

It happened.

I straightened as a wave of power surged through me, washing away the centuries like they were nothing. My muscles tightened, my bones strengthened, my skin hardened. My hunched posture corrected itself, my wrinkled flesh smoothing out as pure, raw life filled me once more.

The weight of age—the decay, the weakness, the constant, gnawing exhaustion—gone.

I clenched my fists.

Took a slow, deep breath.

Yes.

Yes! This was it! This was what I was meant to be!

My power, my strength, my body—everything was back to how it was before time had stolen it from me! I lifted my hands, flexing my fingers, feeling the raw force thrumming through my veins.

I laughed.

“YES! AFTER ALL THIS TIME!”

I tilted my head, rolling my neck, cracking my knuckles. It had been so long since I had felt this good. Every movement was effortless. Every breath filled my lungs with energy.

I looked down at my hands, no longer frail, no longer weak. My arms were solid, thick with muscle. My skin was smooth again, my face youthful, my body perfect.

I turned to Guru.

He was staring.

Not with fear.

With resignation.

He knew.

He had lost.

“You see, old man?” I sneered, my voice rich with new vitality. “This was always my destiny, no pathetic warrior could ever stop this. I was meant to rule.”

Guru said nothing.

He just stared.

Good. Let him. Let him understand what he had done.

I clenched my fist, feeling the energy pulsing beneath my skin, stronger than ever before. My ki had doubled—no, tripled. My old body had been a cage, holding me back, but now?

I was power.

I threw my arms out to my sides, letting my energy explode. A golden-green aura erupted around me, shaking the entire landscape. The gathered Namekians flinched, some collapsing under the sheer force of it.

I laughed again.

“Magnificent!” I roared, flexing, feeling my ki crackle like lightning around me. “I had almost forgotten how this felt!”

The power was intoxicating.

Overwhelming.

Everything I had worked for had led to this moment.

I turned to the sky, the Dragon Balls still floating above, their glow fading now that their power had been used. My wish had been granted. Their energy was gone.

It didn’t matter.

I had what I wanted.

With this body, this power, I could take the rest.

Immortality? I could seize it. The universe? I could crush it beneath my heel. There was nothing left to stop me. No gods, no mortals, no legends of the past. I was no longer bound by time.

I was Slug.

And the universe was mine.

But then—

A pulse of energy.

Strong. Fast. Approaching.

I turned, eyes narrowing.

A golden comet, cutting across the sky, closing in on my position at insane speeds.

“He survived…”

I recognized that ki.

That familiar, annoying, stubborn ki.

The Saiyan.

He was alive.

Not just alive—stronger. His power had spiked beyond what it was before. I knew Saiyans grew stronger after near death experiences, but I never expected such an explosive result.

My lips curled.

So he was coming back for round two?

Good.

I needed a good warm-up now that I was back in my prime.

I would break him properly this time.

I straightened, my smirk widening as I rolled my shoulders.

“Coming to die again, are we?” I muttered, watching him close the distance fast.

The impact was seconds away.

I raised my hand, charging a blast in my palm, waiting.

This time, there would be no second chances.

This time, I would rip him apart.

For good.

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

[Third Person POV.]

Slug barely moved as Escarot shot toward him like a missile, his aura burning through the air.

The Saiyan was fast—faster than ever before. His power had definitely increased. The Zenkai Boost that made his species so unique had done its work.

But it still wouldn’t be enough.

Escarot closed the distance in an instant, fist cocked back, aiming straight for Slug’s jaw. A direct hit.

Slug’s head snapped to the side.

The impact sent a deep boom through the landscape, a shockwave kicking up dust and debris. The gathered Namekians flinched, shielding their eyes as the force rattled the ground beneath them.

Escarot didn’t hesitate. He was already moving, following up with a sharp knee to Slug’s gut, then twisting to drive an elbow toward his temple.

But this time, Slug caught it.

His grip clamped down on Escarot’s forearm, stopping the attack cold.

“Better,” Slug mused. “But still not enough. You’re still weaker than the child that fought me after you.”

Then he crushed down.

Escarot’s teeth clenched as pain shot up his arm, but he didn’t falter. Instead, he lashed out with his tail, aiming for Slug’s ribs.

Slug lifted his other arm, catching it mid-swing before swinging Escarot over his head and slamming him into the ground.

BOOM.

The impact sent cracks through the dirt, but before Slug could press his advantage, Escarot twisted, planting his hands on the ground and using the momentum to flip back to his feet.

He barely had time to land before Slug was on him.

The older Namekian blurred forward, his fist spearing toward Escarot’s chest. The Saiyan shifted, barely dodging the strike as he retaliated with a kick—only for Slug to sidestep it effortlessly.

Then, counterattack.

Slug’s open palm slammed into Escarot’s side, sending him skidding across the battlefield.

Escarot dug his heels into the dirt, stopping himself just before crashing into a nearby rock formation. His fingers twitched at his sides, his breathing even.

Slug rolled his neck, his smirk never fading. “You are stronger. That much is clear.” He tilted his head. “But how much longer can you keep up?”

Escarot didn’t answer. He didn’t need to.

He just moved.

One second, he was standing there—the next, he was gone.

Slug barely had time to shift before Escarot appeared behind him, his fist already swinging toward the base of his skull.

Slug ducked.

Escarot’s punch whiffed, but he followed up immediately, twisting into a sharp kick aimed for Slug’s ribs.

This time, he connected.

Slug grunted, his body jerking slightly from the force, but it wasn’t enough to do real damage. He spun with the impact, catching Escarot’s outstretched leg before yanking him forward and slamming a knee into his stomach.

Escarot coughed, spitting out saliva, but used the momentum to throw his own head forward—headbutting Slug across the face.

The force made Slug stumble back a single step.

Escarot landed, shaking his head slightly from the impact, before rocketing forward again. His aura flared as he sent a barrage of punches toward Slug, his speed increasing with every strike.

Slug blocked.

Left. Right. Uppercut. Side hook.

Escarot wasn’t letting up.

His attacks were relentless, each punch sending out a concussive boom as it met Slug’s guard. But Slug was still standing, still calm, deflecting each attack with minimal effort.

Escarot growled through a smirk. As his ki surged, increasing his power even further beyond. He twisted, driving an energy-coated punch toward Slug’s chest—

Only for Slug to vanish.

Escarot’s fist slammed into nothing.

Then—

WHAM.

A sudden blow to his spine sent him flying forward, crashing into the ground face-first.

He barely had time to push himself up before Slug was standing over him.

“Is that it?” Slug taunted. “Is this all the power you gained?”

Escarot spat blood onto the ground. “Shut up.”

Slug chuckled. “No. I don’t think I will, I’m in a rather good mood, I finally got what I wanted.”

Then he stomped down.

Escarot rolled out of the way, dodging the blow by inches. He flipped back onto his feet, ki flaring around him as he jumped back to gain distance.

He needed more.

More speed. More power.

His fingers twitched.

There was only one way to do it.

Slug raised a brow as Escarot lifted his hand to the sky. “Hoh? Going big again?”

Escarot didn’t respond. His palm glowed, energy swirling as a familiar white orb flickered into existence.

Slug’s eyes narrowed.

A Power Ball.

He scoffed. “It seems you are… Desperate already?”

Escarot’s smirk was sharp, blood still dripping from his mouth. “Nah, I just confirmed I actually have a chance.”

Then—he threw it.

The glowing sphere shot into the sky, bursting as it expanded, spreading its artificial waves into the air.

Slug clicked his tongue.

So that's how he wanted to play this.

Fine.

Let him transform.

It wouldn’t change a damn thing. Just like before, his transformation would prove to be useless.