cornbringer

Dragon Ball Z: The Beast Within - CH14

Added 2025-02-17 02:19:20 +0000 UTC

[Escarot POV.]

Guru had told me a great threat was coming.

A Namekian long banished; the great evil of Namek, Slug.

A Namekian whose power, according to Guru, far surpassed Nail’s.

That alone was concerning.

But what really got to me?

That name hit me like a punch to the gut. I knew who this was.

Slug.

I hadn’t heard that name… in a long time…—hell, I hadn’t even considered him until now. I had been so focused on the main storyline, the major players like Frieza, the Saiyans, and the Androids, that I never even stopped to consider the movies.

If the movies were real… then what else had I overlooked? Other villains? Side stories? Even— I shuddered. The mobile games?

I really hoped that wasn’ t the case.

Either way, I didn’t remember much from the movie his character came to be, just bits and pieces. The general plot. His abilities. His whole “Evil Namekian overlord” thing, and the fact he stole King Piccolo's entire plot.

Other than that, there was one thing I did remember.

Slug wasn’t just a strong Namekian—he was a Super Namekian.

That put him in an entirely different league.

If Nail was the strongest warrior on Namek, and this guy made him look weak? That meant I was nothing in comparison. If he arrived tomorrow, I’d be dead before I could even throw a punch.

The logical part of me knew this was bad.

The Saiyan part of me, though?

It was fucking thrilled.

My instincts burned, urging me to seek out this challenge, to push myself, to fight, to face this threat with all I got. But my gut told me that if I wasn’t careful, I’d be throwing myself straight into a grave.

I needed to be smart about this. Because my Saiyan genes apparently lacked all sense of self-preservation.

I frowned, crossing my arms as I stared out over the Namekian landscape.

Based on my loose memories of the movie, I could make a few rough estimates of how strong Slug was. It all really boiled down to one thing:

Had Goku already gone to Namek or not?

If he had… well, I was fucked.

If he hadn’t, well… I was still fucked, but I had a chance.

Either way, fucked or not; I had a few months to prepare.

A few months to get as strong as possible.

I rolled my shoulders, feeling the energy thrumming beneath my skin. I was strong—stronger than I’d ever been before. But it still wasn’t enough.

I needed more.

I needed to take this training seriously. Well… more seriously.

Which meant pushing past whatever limits I thought I had.

Which meant getting stronger than even Nail.

Which meant bringing Okara to Guru.

I glanced back toward the small island where I had left my squad.

Okara had improved—massively. Almost twice as strong as when I first met her. That kind of growth was insane. If Guru unlocked her potential, she’d get even stronger. Maybe even strong enough to be an actual asset in a real fight.

But could I really trust her with that?

Okara was still reckless, still prone to throwing herself at fights she had no business being in. If she found out about Slug, she might do something stupid, like trying to fight him alone, and I really didn’t need her getting herself killed.

And if she got herself killed? That’d be on me.

I guess I had five months to do something about her reckless behaivor.

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

Taking Okara to meet Guru was… an experience.

For one, she wasn’t exactly thrilled about it.

“Why are we going to see that old green alien again?” she muttered, arms crossed as she flew beside me. “I still don’t understand why you befriended them… it stupid.”

I sighed. “You want to get stronger, don’t you?”

She huffed. “Yeah.”

“Then trust me. This is worth it.”

She shot me a skeptical glare but didn’t argue further. That was the best I was going to get from her.

We flew in silence for a while, the Namekian landscape rolling beneath us. The green fields, the scattered villages, the massive lakes stretching as far as the eye could see; it was all so different from Planet Vegeta. Peaceful. Untouched.

It was basically the opposite of Planet Vegeta.

Okara, of course, didn’t appreciate any of that.

She was too busy grumbling under her breath.

When we finally landed outside Guru’s home, I stopped her before we went in.

“Alright, listen,” I said, turning to face her. “This guy is important. Really important. So don’t screw this up.”

She scowled. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means be nice.”

Okara scoffed. “I’m nice.”

I raised an eyebrow.

She folded her arms and looked away. “…Sometimes.”

I pinched the bridge of my nose. “Just… try. Please.”

She muttered something under her breath but didn’t argue.

Good enough.

We stepped inside, and just like before, Guru was there, waiting. His massive form rested comfortably, his calm presence filling the room. Nail stood nearby, arms crossed, ever the watchful guard.

Guru’s eyes opened slowly, studying us. Then, they landed on Okara.

And she, in turn, stared up at him, unimpressed.

“…Shit, you’re huge,” she muttered.

“Okara,” I warned, feeling immediately like a hypocrite considering that was my same reaction.

She flinched, then quickly corrected herself. “I-I mean… uh… wow! You’re huge! In a, uh… strong way?”

Guru let out a deep, amused chuckle. “Quite the fiery one, aren’t you?”

Okara blinked. “Wait, you’re not mad?”

“If I were offended by every child that set foot in my home, and said something they shouldn’t, I would be in a constant state of rage.”

Yeah, that checks out.

Okara tilted her head. “Huh. I like you. For a big green thing, you are fun.”

Well… that was surprisingly easy.

Nail twitched slightly, clearly less amused by her attitude than Guru was.

Guru simply smiled. “I see why you brought her, Escarot. She carries great potential.”

I nodded. “Yeah. That’s why we’re here.”

Guru studied Okara for a moment longer, then slowly lifted his massive hand and gestured for her to step forward.

“Come closer, child.”

Okara hesitated, glancing at me.

I gave her a nod. “Just go with it.”

She frowned but obeyed, stepping forward until she stood right in front of the massive elder.

Guru reached out, placing his large hand on her head.

For a second, nothing happened.

Then—

Okara’s body tensed.

Her breath hitched, her fists clenching as a rush of energy surged through her.

I recognized the feeling immediately.

Her power was being unleashed.

Her potential unlocked.

Her whole body trembled, her muscles flexing instinctively as the raw force within her was set free. She let out a sharp breath, eyes wide in shock.

I could only imagine what that felt like for her.

I had been ready for it. I had expected it.

She?

She had no idea what she was in for.

And from the way her aura flickered around her, sparking like an untamed wildfire, she wasn’t handling it as smoothly as I had.

Then, just as suddenly as it started, it was over.

Guru removed his hand, and Okara staggered back, her breathing heavy.

She blinked rapidly, looking down at her hands, flexing her fingers like she wasn’t sure if she was still in her own body.

“What…” she breathed. “What was that?”

“The power that was already within you,” Guru rumbled. “Now brought to the surface.”

Okara’s eyes snapped up, wide with realization. “Wait. That was all mine?”

Guru nodded. “Indeed.”

She clenched her fists, then let out a wild grin. “Ha! I knew I was strong! Now fight me! Escarot! I will defeat you!”

I rolled my eyes. “Yeah, yeah. Don’t let it go to your head.”

Too late.

Okara practically bounced on her feet, shifting into a fighting stance. “I gotta test this out! Escarot, fight me!”

I snorted. “You sure about that?”

She grinned. “Hell yeah.”

Nail let out a small sigh. “Saiyans…”

Guru, on the other hand, just chuckled.

“Go, young one,” he said to Okara. “Test your strength. But remember… strength alone does not make a warrior.”

Okara blinked, then frowned. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Nail replied, as I grabbed her by the collar, dragging her toward the exit. “It means don’t be an idiot.”

“Hey—HEY! Lemme go, I’m gonna kick your ass!”

I chuckled. “We’ll see about that.”

As we left, Guru’s voice echoed behind us.

“Escarot.”

I paused, glancing back at him.

His eyes met mine, calm and wise. “Take care of this one.”

I nodded. “I will.”

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

After dragging Okara back to the island—kicking, screaming, and trying (and failing) to punch me in the face—I left her to burn off her newfound power alone, with the promise to spar with her later, before flying straight back to Nail.

Why?

Well, I had one request.

“I need weighted clothes.”

Nail raised an eyebrow. He was standing with his arms crossed, posture as rigid as ever, his sharp eyes scanning me with that usual unreadable intensity. “Why?”

I smirked. “Because I need to get stronger. Fast.”

For a moment, he didn’t say anything.

Then, slowly, he uncrossed his arms, stepping forward. “Training with weight is effective,” he admitted, tilting his head slightly. “But you already train with that ridiculous boulder. Do you truly need more?”

I rolled my shoulders. “The boulder is great for endurance. But it limits my movements, I need something that allows me to adjust to the weight more naturally.”

Nail studied me, then gave a slow nod. “Very well.”

He lifted his hand, palm facing me, and suddenly—

I felt it.

A shift in the air, a faint glow of energy, and before I could blink, my clothes changed.

The Saiyan armor, the bodysuit—all gone.

Instead, I was now clad in a traditional Namekian gi. A deep purple tunic, a blue sash tied around my waist, and a white collar.

The second I registered the change, I immediately felt it.

My knees almost buckled.

It was heavy.

Really, really heavy.

It felt like someone had just thrown a mountain on my back, pressing down on my shoulders, sinking into my limbs, making every movement ten times harder.

I let out a slow breath, adjusting my stance, trying to distribute my weight better. “Okay,” I muttered. “That’s a lot heavier than I thought.”

Nail didn’t look impressed. “This is just the starting weight.”

I blinked. “You can make them heavier?”

His expression remained neutral. “I can, I simply adjusted this set to what I believe your body can currently handle. I will increase over time as you grow stronger.”

I straightened, testing my movement. Even walking felt sluggish. But I grinned. “Good. That’s exactly what I need.”

Nail nodded. “Then we begin immediately.”

I smirked. “So eager to get your ass kicked?”

Nail simply lifted his hand, and with a single flick of his wrist, he vanished.

Before I could even think to react, a powerful force slammed into my stomach.

I choked, the air blasted out of my lungs as I was sent flying across the plateau, smashing into a boulder with enough force to crack it in half.

I groaned. “Okay… ow.”

Nail landed a few feet away, arms crossed. “Your movements are too slow. If you are to help my people, you need to grow stronger.”

I pushed myself up, rubbing my stomach. “Yeah, no shit.”

I took a deep breath, forced my body to adjust to the weight, then charged.

We clashed in an instant.

Fist met fist, shockwaves rattling the ground beneath us. Nail was faster—much faster—but I was getting used to the weight. Every punch I threw was sluggish at first, but the more we exchanged blows, the more my body adapted.

Still, Nail was leagues ahead.

The moment I tried to create some distance, he was already behind me. A sharp kick to my side sent me skidding across the ground.

I barely caught myself before he was on me again.

I ducked under a strike, countered with an uppercut, but he caught my fist and threw me over his shoulder like I weighed nothing.

I hit the ground hard, coughing.

“Better, but still too slow,” Nail said.

I groaned, rolling onto my side. “Give me… a second.”

“No.”

And just like that, he was on me again.

For hours, we fought.

Or, well—he fought, and I got my ass kicked. But hey, I was learning.

Every time I was knocked down, I got back up. Every time he sent me flying, I came back swinging. Every time I thought I couldn’t move, I forced my body to keep going.

Because I had to.

This wasn’t just about training anymore, for the sake of training.

This was survival.

Slug was coming. And Nail…

He wasn’t just training me.

He was training himself.

I could see it in the way he fought. This was different to our normal spars. I could see it in the way he pushed himself just as hard as he pushed me. He wasn’t just testing me; he was testing himself, sharpening his own skills, preparing for the fight that was coming.

He wasn’t going to rest until he knew, without a doubt, that he could protect his people. That I could protect his people.

That realization hit me harder than any of his punches.

I exhaled, shaking off the pain, pushing myself up.

Nail watched me, waiting. “Again?”

I wiped the blood from my mouth and smirked. “You bet your ass.”

We launched at each other once more.

This time, however, I think I wasn’t quite as slow as I had been a few hours ago.

And we still had months to go.

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