Dragon Ball Z: The Beast Within - CH17

[Escarot POV.]

Garlik was not a fighter.

He never had been, and I doubted he ever wanted to be. I had tried to push him to train, to become stronger with Okara and me, but he didn’t really like it, but that didn’t mean he had to stay weak.

Which is why, after weeks of putting it off, I finally decided to drag his ass to Guru.

It wasn’t that I didn’t want him to be stronger—it was more that he never seemed that interested. Unlike Okara, who threw herself into training like a lunatic, Garlik had been more focused on maintenance, like making sure our pods didn’t randomly explode mid-flight.

Which, to be fair, was important. Very important.

But strength was just as important, especially in our universe, where a lot of people had the power to blow planets for fun. And while I didn’t think Garlik needed to be a warrior if he didn’t want to be, I wasn’t about to leave him as the weak link in our group. 

At the very least, I wanted him to have the power to defend himself.

So here we were.

Standing in front of Guru’s massive chair, the old Namekian watched us with that same unreadable expression he always had.

Garlik, for his part, looked... uncomfortable.

“Are you sure about this, sir?” he muttered. “My potential was already deemed far too low to be a warrior, so… this might not work.”

I replied. “Don’t worry about it.”

He huffed, crossing his arms. “That’s my job, to worry about things. And besides, I don’t need to be strong to fix things around.”

“True, but you being stronger might save your life,” I pointed out.

That shut him up.

Guru chuckled, the deep rumble of his voice filling the chamber. “Strength is not merely for battle, child. There are many things the strength of oneself can achieve.”

Garlik hesitated, then sighed. “Fine.”

Guru gestured for him to step forward.

The moment Garlik did, Guru placed his massive hand on the smaller Saiyan’s head, fingers practically engulfing his skull.

For a moment, nothing happened.

Then Garlik stiffened. His eyes widened, his body trembling slightly as an unseen force surged through him.

I could feel it.

His energy spiked—slowly at first, then rising higher, faster, more than doubling in an instant. It wasn’t a sudden explosion of power, but a gradual, overwhelming surge, like a dam breaking.

The air around him vibrated. His tail bristled. His breath hitched.

And then, just as quickly as it came, it stopped.

Guru pulled his hand away, his expression calm. “It is done.”

Garlik staggered back, his breathing uneven. He looked at his hands, flexing his fingers like he wasn’t sure they were his.

Then he clenched them into fists.

“…That was something,” he muttered.

I smirked. “So, how do you feel?”

He frowned, shifting his stance. “I feel… amazing.” His brows furrowed, like he was trying to process it. “It’s not just strength, I think I feel… sharper? Like my mind is clearer.”

Guru smiled. “Potential is not merely physical. Even though some might think it is. It is also of the mind. You have always had the capacity for greatness, child. You simply lacked the means to access it.”

Garlik stared at him, then at me. “So, do I have to be a warrior now?”

“Not if you don’t want to,” I replied.

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[Nail POV.]

I arrived just as Escarot and his companion, Garlik, stepped out of Lord Guru’s home.

The moment I sensed Garlik’s energy, I knew.

His power had increased significantly.

I wasn’t surprised. Guru had done the same for Escarot and the other Saiyan girl, it had been a matter of time before he unlocked the potential of this one as well. But while Okara had been eager to grow stronger, this one—Garlik—hadn’t shown the same drive. 

According to Escarot, Garlik was an engineer, not a warrior. Strength had never been his focus. But based on what he had told me, this had been a fate enforced on him, not one he picked himself.

Yet now, even as he rolled his shoulders and adjusted to his newfound power, I could tell he felt different.

Perhaps time would make a warrior out of him.

Escarot turned to leave, but I called out to him. “Escarot, are you ready for our training session today?”

He grinned, stretching his arms behind his head. “You even have to ask?”

I nodded. “Good.”

The last month had been… enlightening.

When I had first begun training him, I saw Escarot as nothing more than a strong-willed Saiyan with an unusual amount of self-control. But now?

Now, he was more than that.

He had become much stronger.

And so had I.

Training him… training with him had forced me to push my limits in ways I hadn’t before. According to Lord Guru, Saiyans had a strange way of growing—every battle, every loss, every push beyond their limits made them stronger at a frightening pace.

Escarot was no exception.

Every time we fought, every time I thought he had reached his peak, he broke past it.

But it wasn’t just his raw power.

It was the way he fought.

The way he adapted.

Every session, he adjusted to my techniques, studied my movements, and found ways to counter them. It was frustrating. It was infuriating.

And it was exactly what I needed.

Because we weren’t training just to train.

We were training for war.

Slug was coming.

And if we wanted to have any hope of saving Namek, of protecting Guru, my people—my entire world—then we had to become stronger. Much, much stronger.

Escarot smirked. “So, what’s on the menu today?”

I crossed my arms. “We’ll fight, without holding back.”

I needed to push his nature even further. If training had pushed him this far, a real fight would help him soar beyond limitations.

His grin widened. “Finally!”

Garlik let out a long sigh, rubbing his temples. “I don’t know how you two do this every single day.”

Escarot clapped him on the back. “It’s fun, don’t knock it until you try it, Garlik. You should fight Okara, knock her around for a bit.”

Garlik chuckled. “Maybe.”

I watched their exchange quietly.

Escarot had grown close to his squadmates during his time in Namek. At first, I had assumed it was just camaraderie, but that didn’t fit the description of the Saiyans.

I had seen him cook with Okara.

Talk with Garlik.

He cared about them.

And that… was unusual.

Lord Guru had told me that Saiyans were known across the universe for their selfishness, their pride, their bloodlust. They valued strength above all else. The weak were left behind, cast aside, or used as fodder.

Escarot was different.

He was strong. That was undeniable.

But he didn’t act like he was supposed to, like all of his race.

He had protected the girl, Okara. He had made sure Garlik wasn’t left behind. He didn’t just see them as tools, but as comarades.

It was… strange.

“Let’s go,” I said, turning toward the training ground. “We’re wasting daylight.”

Escarot cracked his neck. “Ehm… Namek has no night cycle. It’s all daylight….”

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

[Escarot POV]

“Ready when you are,” I said, cracking my knuckles.

“Go ahead,” Nail replied with a faint nod.

The moment Nail gave the nod to start, I launched forward, kicking off the ground so hard the dirt cracked beneath me. He was already in his stance, as my fist shot toward his face.

Or at least, it should have.

Nail’s forearm snapped up at the last second, blocking my punch clean. A dull thud rang out from the impact, but he barely budged. I grinned. He was strong—good. That’s what I needed.

I didn’t stop. 

I twisted my body, swinging my knee up toward his ribs. He dodged, but I was already following up with a kick aimed at his head. He raised his elbow, deflecting it, and the impact sent a small shockwave rippling between us, cracking the earth beneath our feet. 

The force of our clash threw me slightly off balance; just for a second, but against Nail, that was all he needed.

He lunged forward, aiming a sharp strike at my ribs. My instincts screamed at me to move, and I barely managed to throw myself back in time. His fist passed just inches from my side, the wind pressure alone strong enough to send an exciting chill through my skin.

"Your reaction time is improving," Nail said, taking a step back.

I rolled my shoulders, cracking my neck. "I am getting trained by the best, aren’t I?"

He didn’t take the bait. "Then show me you’re learning."

I smirked. "Gladly."

I kicked off the ground again, but this time, I didn’t aim straight for him—I blurred out of view, moving from side to side, appearing behind him in a flash. My tail whipped out, aiming for his legs.

But he jumped. Damn it.

Before I could recover, his fist shot toward me—except it wasn’t just his fist. His whole arm stretched unnaturally, flying at me like a damn snake. I jerked my head to the side at the last second, feeling the air shift as it barely missed my face.

"Okay, that’s gonna take some getting used to," I muttered. I knew Namekians could do that, but it still caught me up by surprise.

And unfortunately for me, Nail wasn’t done. His other arm stretched forward this time, a blur of green rushing toward me.

I reacted on instinct. I caught his wrist and yanked, pulling him toward me while twisting my torso. My tail lashed out, aiming for his side, realizing a little too late that—

He let me pull him in.

Before I knew what was happening, his arm bent unnaturally, wrapping around my own like a snake. Before I could even think of countering, his foot planted on my chest, and with one powerful push, he flipped backward, throwing me forward in the process.

I slammed into the ground and rolled, skidding until I planted a hand down and pushed myself back onto my feet. I wiped a bit of dust from my mouth, still grinning.

"Okay, that was cool," I admitted.

"You’re still leaving openings," Nail said, closing the distance fast.

I barely had time to plant my feet before he was on me again. His arms blurred as he launched a barrage of attacks—punches, palm strikes, kicks. I blocked and dodged as best I could, my tail coiling behind me, ready to counter.

Then I saw my chance.

As he swung a punch toward my chest, I ducked and planted my hands on the ground, twisting my entire body as my tail snapped upward in a sharp arc

Bingo.

It struck Nail square in the chin, knocking his head back. He staggered slightly, rubbing his jaw.

"Better," he admitted.

I smirked. "I learn fast."

"Not fast enough."

His arm shot out again, stretching toward me, but this time, it didn’t come alone. Both of his fists whipped forward like projectiles, each one from a different angle; forcing me to go fully on the defensive. I ducked, sidestepped, swatted a few away, but he was overwhelming me with pure reach.

Then I made a mistake.

I saw an opening—thought I saw an opening—and I lunged in for a counter. That’s when his fist curved mid-air and slammed into the back of my head.

I stumbled forward. That was all he needed.

Nail was on me instantly. He drove a powerful kick into my stomach, forcing the air from my lungs, then retracted his elongated arm in an instant—just to uppercut me straight into the sky.

Pain flared in my jaw as I shot upward, but I didn’t have time to recover. He was already moving.

"Not this time!" I yelled, forcing my body to flip midair. I threw my hands forward, energy crackling between my palms.

A split-second later, a barrage of golden ki blasts erupted from my fingertips, raining down toward Nail.

He barely flinched. Raising one hand, he swung his arm in a wide arc, releasing a shockwave of energy that erased my blasts before they even reached him.

Oh, come on.

Then he disappeared.

Where—above!

I barely turned my head before his foot crashed into my face, sending me rocketing toward the ground. I slammed into the dirt with enough force to kick up a cloud of dust and debris.

That last hit hurt.

But, damn, I was loving this.

I wiped my mouth from blood, and let out a breathless chuckle. "Alright, Nail," I said, cracking my knuckles. "Round two."

Nail landed a few feet away, arms crossed, eyes calm. "Go ahead."

I felt my blood pumping, energy thrumming beneath my skin. My aura flared, ki crackling around me as I dug my heels into the dirt.

Time to test the technique I had been practicing for the last few weeks.

"Surge!"

Immediately, a bright white aura swarmed around me, as my muscles contracted, hardened, and my strength increased dramatically.

Nail's expression barely changed, but I could tell he noticed the shift. His eyes flickered with recognition—he knew I was now stronger than him.

Perfect.

I grinned. "Now it's my turn."

I launched forward—no, I vanished. The air itself cracked from my sudden acceleration, and before Nail could react, I was already in front of him. My fist slammed into his guard with enough force to send a deep, concussive boom echoing across the Namekian landscape.

Nail slid back, his feet digging trenches into the dirt. He barely had a moment to plant himself before I was on him again. I twisted my body, swinging my leg in a brutal roundhouse kick. He raised his forearm to block, but this time, the impact hurt. His arm trembled slightly from the force, his stance wavering.

I saw it.

I pressed forward, hammering him with a relentless barrage of punches. Each strike was faster, heavier, sharper than before. Nail tried to deflect them, but for the first time, he was the one struggling to keep up.

A sharp grin spread across my face. "What do you think?"

Nail didn’t answer—he couldn't. I slammed my knee into his gut, knocking the wind out of him, then spun and brought my elbow crashing down toward his head.

But just before I connected, his arm shot out—stretching again.

His fist wrapped around my wrist like a whip, stopping my strike cold. I tried to yank free, but his grip tightened.

"Tch—"

Before I could react, he twisted, swinging me like a damn wrecking ball before slamming me into the ground. The force sent a shockwave through the earth, and cracks spiderwebbed outward from the impact.

Dust clouded the air, but I wasn’t done yet.

My tail shot out from the debris, wrapping around his ankle.

His eyes widened slightly. "What–"

I yanked with all my strength.

Nail lost his footing, falling forward—and I was already moving. I flipped up from the ground, my fist cocked back. As he fell, I drove a punch straight into his stomach.

The impact sent him flying. He rocketed backward like a missile, skidding across the dirt before coming to a stop, hitting a mountain.

I let out a slow exhale, rolling my shoulders. "This is getting fun," I said, my white aura still flaring. "Looks like the tables have turned."

Nail slowly pushed himself up, brushing some dust off his shoulder, and blood from his mouth. His expression was unreadable, but his stance shifted—every so slightly.

He exhaled. "Not bad."

I raised a brow. "Not bad? I just knocked you across the field, and that’s all you have to say?"

Nail closed his eyes briefly—then smirked. "You are… shockingly strong for one so small."

I took a step forward, grinning. "Damn right I am."

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POWER LEVEL SECTION

Escarot: 38,879

• Escarot (Surge): 48,598

Nail: 44,250.