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!)

"Two more coming to their deaths," Karnel muttered as he sensed the approaching qi signatures. He had been about to investigate an area where several energy readings were clustered when these two powerful presences appeared from afar.

These Kaimo were like locusts, attacking one after another in endless waves.

Nedovich hovered in the air, his gaze sweeping over the corpses of several newborns scattered on the ground below. Unable to contain his rage, he demanded of the dark-haired figure before him, "You bastard! Did you kill all of these?"

Kanduba, maintaining his composure despite the carnage, spoke with grim recognition. "Nedovich, don't bother asking. He's the golden-haired monkey who killed Hagas and Aiken. I don't know why his hair color has changed or why his power seems diminished, but I can recognize his energy signature immediately. It's exactly the same as before."

"Are there any other outsiders here besides me? Your brain isn't any better than that brain-dead Hagas," Karnel replied sardonically, firing another energy blast that obliterated a nearby newborn corpse.

"As for this golden-haired monkey you mentioned who killed those two idiots..." Karnel's expression turned wicked as a hint of malice crossed his features. "Is this what you're looking for?"

In an instant, his hair blazed golden as he transformed into his Super Saiyan state.

Kanduba's expression darkened considerably as he whispered urgently to Nedovich: "This damn monkey can transform. His strength is now at least fifty percent greater than both of us combined. When we engage, we need to coordinate perfectly, catch him off guard and land a devastating blow before he can react. That's our only chance of victory."

The overwhelming aura radiating from the transformed warrior couldn't be underestimated. For once, Nedovich didn't argue with Kanduba's assessment. He nodded grimly, his eyes locked on the golden-haired figure hundreds of meters away. The moment their opponent showed any weakness, they would strike with everything they had.

"Still coming at me one by one like mindless drones?" Karnel said with casual indifference. "If you two actually work together, you might have a sliver of a chance."

However, neither general responded to his taunts. Their muscles tensed as four eyes remained fixed unblinkingly on their target.

"What's wrong? Don't have the courage to attack? Aren't the Kaimo people supposed to be eager to invade other planets and slaughter their inhabitants? When did you become so timid?" Karnel asked mockingly, casually placing his hands behind his head.

Now!

Nedovich's eyes flashed as he and Kanduba exchanged a meaningful glance. Their energy exploded outward simultaneously, leaving ghostly afterimages as they attacked from both left and right in perfect coordination.

"A pincer attack, good tactical thinking," Karnel sneered, seeming completely calm despite the menacing assault converging on him from both sides. "Show an opening and let them think they can land a killing blow. Unfortunately, you've miscalculated badly."

When there was such a vast difference in power levels, apparent weaknesses were no longer genuine vulnerabilities, they were traps designed to lure overconfident enemies to their deaths.

We hit him!

Both Nedovich and Kanduba felt elation as triumphant smiles spread across their faces.

But in the next instant, Karnel sidestepped outside their pincer formation with effortless grace. With an amused gleam in his eyes, he grabbed both of their extended arms and redirected their explosive punches directly into each other's chests.

Both generals' expressions changed to horror as they realized it was too late to dissipate the power behind their attacks.

WHAM!

With two sickening impacts, Kanduba's chest took the full force of Nedovich's punch. He felt his ribs shatter into fragments from the devastating blow as dark purple blood surged from his lungs into his throat, spraying across Nedovich's face.

Nedovich's situation was even worse. Since the naturally steadier Kanduba was a point or two stronger than him, taking that full-power punch crushed his lungs completely. Several mouthfuls of blood mixed with chunks of tissue came spraying out uncontrollably.

Karnel held both generals by their arms, spun them around like rag dolls, and hurled their broken bodies into a nearby crater filled with rubble.

"Sorry, but playtime's over," he announced without a trace of sympathy. "I don't have time for these boring games with weaklings like you."

His hands began glowing with brilliant blue energy as he prepared to end this quickly.

"Kamehameha!" he called out, launching the formed energy wave toward the two figures in the crater.

Both severely injured generals couldn't even stand, let alone dodge.

Nedovich had never imagined that he and Kanduba would be defeated so easily by this golden-haired demon, who hadn't even needed to exert serious effort.

The massive energy wave bore down on them, and the two warriors who couldn't move in time closed their eyes in despair.

Just as Karnel's Kamehameha was about to obliterate Kanduba and Nedovich, he felt something strange at the far end of his energy beam.

The wave couldn't advance any further. Rather than blindly increasing the energy output, Karnel decided to investigate what was happening.

He dispersed the gathered energy in his hands, and the Kamehameha visibly slowed before eventually dissipating entirely.

A Kaimo warrior wearing battle armor with a distinctive horn protruding from his forehead appeared before him. If not for that horn, Karnel might have mistaken him for a member of some other species entirely. Unlike the malformed appearance of his subordinates, this King of the Kaimo possessed an almost regal, intimidating beauty.

"So this is their king," Karnel murmured with interest.

"King Kairos!" Nedovich and Kanduba cried out in shame as they confirmed his identity. "This man is terrifyingly powerful. The two of us together were no match for him."

"Hmph! Worthless trash," Kairos said coldly, kicking both defeated generals aside like garbage. "Being taken down by such a simple trick, get out of my sight."

The King's cold, calculating gaze studied the opponent who had so easily defeated his strongest subordinates.

"Monkey," Kairos said with measured respect, "my intuition tells me that you are exceptionally strong, strong enough to defeat all of my most powerful warriors with ease. Tell me, what race are you?"

Facing this genuinely powerful opponent, Karnel raised his energy to maximum levels and replied, "You must be Kairos, King of the Kaimo clan. I am a Saiyan from the Northern Galaxy!"