Dragon Ball: Ascension

(A/N: Bonus Chapter! Thank you for your continued support! And don't hesitate to leave a comment or powerstone if you like the story!)

Aiken finally managed to shatter the massive energy ball, his arms trembling from the effort. When he turned around, expecting to see Hagas recovering from his ordeal, he was met with a sight that made his blood run cold, scattered remains and a headless corpse.

"That arrogant fool, Hagas... actually killed by this golden-haired monkey," Aiken muttered through gritted teeth, his eyes fixed on the mixed-blood warrior who stood casually among the carnage.

"You're too weak, just like the idiot I killed moments ago," Karnel said with a dismissive shrug. "There's no way you could have rescued your friend from me." If looks could kill, Aiken's murderous glare would have reduced Karnel to ash on the spot.

"Damn him," Aiken thought desperately. "Even Hagas, who was stronger than me, couldn't match this monster. If it weren't for the King's direct orders, I never would have come alone to attempt a rescue. I need to be careful and find a chance to escape back to the capital, or I'll end up just as dead as he did."

Seeing that this second Kaimo general seemed more interested in fleeing than fighting, Karnel spoke with casual amusement. "You're showing a bit more intelligence than I expected. You wanted to save that worthless Hagas and then gang up on me two-against-one, didn't you? Unfortunately, anyone I decide to kill can't be saved by anyone."

He continued with the same indifferent tone: "You'd better start running now. Once I get serious, you won't have any chance of survival."

Though escape had indeed been Aiken's intention, having it spoken so bluntly was a different matter entirely. Rage flared in his chest as his fists clenched, his entire body trembling with barely contained fury.

"Don't underestimate me, golden-haired freak! I'm not like that self-righteous fool Hagas!" Aiken roared, driving his heel into the ground with such force that a two-meter-wide crater appeared beneath his feet.

"You easily killed an idiot whose strength was similar to yours, and now you dare attack me?" Karnel said with what might have been slight appreciation, though his words carried the opposite sentiment. "You've got courage. I'll make sure you die with some dignity."

"Another fool who doesn't know when to quit," Karnel smiled as he moved forward. "Let me trample on some of your so-called Kaimo clan pride."

The battle erupted with immediate intensity, but within moments, Aiken realized the horrible truth.

"How can this person be so powerful? I'm afraid only our four legion commanders working together could hope to kill him. No wonder Hagas died so easily," Aiken thought in growing panic, his attacks becoming more defensive and less aggressive.

Clearly, Aiken understood that continuing this fight would only lead to the same explosive fate that had befallen Hagas. Rather than waste energy in futile combat, it would be better to conserve his strength and wait for an opportunity to escape back to the capital, where the King could deal with this monster.

Karnel's tail whipped around Aiken's ankle, hurling him over a hundred meters through the air. "What's wrong?" he called out mockingly. "Your strength suddenly got pathetic. Knowing you're outmatched, ready to give up already?"

"Damn this devil," Aiken thought as he struggled to his feet. "He's watching me too closely. I can't find any chance to escape."

BOOM!

Karnel's clasped hands came down like a sledgehammer on Aiken's spine, driving him deep into a nearby lake. The impact sent water exploding dozens of meters into the air in a massive geyser.

"Still thinking about running away?" Karnel's voice carried across the water, cold and menacing. "Unless your King comes personally, you won't see any hope of survival. I'll give you the same treatment I gave Hagas, I won't let you die quickly."

The words that emerged from Karnel's mouth sounded disturbingly cold and bloodthirsty.

"Why isn't he responding? Too scared to come out of the lake?" Karnel wondered after several minutes of silence.

Something felt wrong. The powerful energy signature had been lying motionless at the bottom of the lake like a dead thing, not moving from its position for far too long.

It was impossible that he was dead, Karnel knew his own strength perfectly well. That attack would have caused serious injury at most, not death.

Karnel dove into the lake to investigate. At the bottom, Aiken's body lay seemingly lifeless, but still emanating the same energy signature that had been present during their battle.

Looking closer, however, something was definitely wrong. There was a ten-centimeter gap running down the back of the body.

"So the Kaimo race has this ability," Karnel mused with grudging respect. "Molting like an insect to fool me. That's actually quite clever."

An energy blast completely destroyed Aiken's discarded shell as Karnel emerged from the lake.

He extended his senses across the entire planet but couldn't detect any trace of energy related to the escaped Kaimo general.

"This one is much smarter than the fool whose head I blew off," Karnel admitted with a shake of his head. "But your life force is still tied to that shell you left behind. Even if you escaped from the lake, you're probably as weak as a newborn infant right now."

He decided not to pursue the matter further. A powerless fugitive wasn't worth his time.

___

Meanwhile, Aiken, now reduced to roughly the size of a basketball after his first molting, had already traveled several miles and was making his way toward the capital at a painfully slow pace.

The majority of Aiken's power had remained in the discarded shell as a decoy. In his current state, he was weaker than a common soldier, anyone with even a thousand units of combat power could reduce him to paste.

"That damned golden-haired monster is terrifying," the diminished Aiken muttered as he glanced back nervously. "Fortunately, when he drove me into the lake, the water disrupted his sight enough for me to escape. I have to get back and report to the King. With His Majesty's godlike and unpredictable strength, he can certainly kill that beast easily."

Aiken's spherical form moved with light, quick steps toward the capital, driven by a mixture of fear and determination.

Upon entering the royal city, Aiken rushed toward the palace where King Kairos resided, ignoring the surprised and confused stares from the lower-ranking citizens who witnessed his diminished state.

"Lord Kairos," Aiken said, bowing his head in shame as he entered the throne room. "The one who came to our planet is a golden-haired monkey. His strength is beyond terrifying. I couldn't save Hagas from him, and if I hadn't been clever enough to escape, I would have died by his hands as well."

Kairos, who had been sitting with closed eyes in meditation, slowly opened them upon hearing this report. The overwhelming presence of true royalty filled the chamber as his cold gaze fixed directly on Aiken.

The oppressive aura of a higher evolutionary being pressed down on the room, and Aiken's basketball-sized body trembled in terror, his bowed head nearly touching the floor.