As Garlic Jr.'s body was sent flying by the attacks, he took the moment to think. Why had things ended this way? He knew immediately. He'd been overconfident despite his doubts. Yet, he'd insisted on acting cocky, like all the low-ranking demons he looked down on.
As he felt his two enemies charge their attacks, the imminent threat causing his body to tremble, a cruel smile spread across his face. Bursts of ki with a dense, watery texture slowly emerged from his body and dispersed into the air.
'I forgot that Namekians are excellent magicians, according to the stories. This spatial barrier is impressive, but my tools may be limited in this way. If I can't pass through space, I'll tear it apart,' he thought as the energy he was dispersing began to accumulate and reintegrate into his body, thus starting a chain reaction.
His slightly blue-green skin darkened significantly, and his physique grew larger as he became increasingly muscular. When the two powerful energy beams were fired at him, his torso's clothing tore, revealing his physique.
Though confident, he remained on high alert in the face of the imminent attacks. With a single gesture, he created a slightly curved wall of ki, causing the energy beams to veer off course slightly when they struck the barrier. The beams passed through the planet's atmosphere and ended up in space.
Although this action looked easy, the pressure the demon had to endure was immense. Looking at his hands, he noticed they were trembling slightly from the energetic chaos he experienced while exerting himself to achieve the feat.
'Damn it, I need more power,' thought Garlic Jr., regretting his current transformation, which didn't come for free. He had achieved it by burning through much of his energy and vitality, which was difficult to replenish under normal circumstances.
Knowing he could die here, why keep holding back? He let out a low roar, drawing upon more of his inherent vitality and unleashing far greater power. His skin darkened further, and his physique underwent an even more drastic change.
His presence became increasingly imposing and oppressive. Goku and Piccolo realized they shouldn't let him continue, so they flew toward him quickly. However, Garlic Jr. anticipated this and was prepared.
Before his initial transformation, he issued a mental command to the flying fortress that had arrived with him on Earth. This caused changes to occur in its magical barriers.
Chains of light emerged from the building and stretched across the sky toward Piccolo and Goku, blocking their path. They unleashed bursts of ki to fight against these formations, but their speed inevitably slowed, which was exactly what the demon needed.
Garlic Jr.'s transformation was complete. Though he felt powerful, he could sense an inexplicable emptiness and a craving for life that unsettled and irritated him.
He knew this was due to the drain on his vitality. However, to resolve the imminent threat, he had no other choice. Determined to take control of the battle and make the most of his sacrifice, he flew toward his enemies and intercepted them.
The demon's punch, propelled by his enhanced physique, collided with Goku's fist. Neither moved from their position, creating the illusion that they were evenly matched. However, Garlic Jr. could feel it; he had lost.
He had expended a great deal of energy countering Goku's attack, which forced him to remain in place. Furthermore, the Saiyan was fighting him alone when an extended arm struck his cheek. This separated them, causing the demon to have drops of blood on his lip.
The arm snapped back like a whip, returning to its original size. Meanwhile, Piccolo took the Saiyan's place and began trading blows with Garlic Jr. The demon growled in frustration. Whenever he faced one of his enemies, the other would intervene with sudden bursts of ki or surprise attacks.
The most exasperating part was when he started to get into a rhythm with one of them, only to have them switch places. Although he could maintain some semblance of a rhythm thanks to his vast combat experience, the constant shift in pattern threw him off, causing him to lose his advantage and take more damage than he should have.
Meanwhile, Goku and Piccolo shared a deep, unspoken understanding. Without exchanging a single word or sharing thoughts, they fought with such synchronization that they overwhelmed Garlic Jr.
Even when the fortress's inhabitants returned and made the battle more tedious, the warriors quickly adapted, using their enemy's actions against him.
Garlic Jr. noticed this and gave another mental command. Now, the flying fortress no longer hindered the fight with chains, but began to project a soft greenish glow over the demon, gradually healing his wounds.
This didn't restore his lost vitality, but it did help him regain his stamina, allowing him to last longer in battle. Thus, even though he was fighting a one-on-two battle, he was able to hold his own to some extent, though the odds were always stacked against him.
Piccolo noticed this and glanced at Goku, who quickly understood. While exchanging blows with Garlic Jr., the Saiyan let out a scream that sent bursts of energy, pushing the demon back for a moment. That was enough.
The Namekian took his position as Goku accelerated to full speed and flew toward the fortress. Garlic Jr. realized what they were planning, but Piccolo stepped in front of him and snapped his neck.
"Don't you have a problem with Kami-Sama? What if I told you I'm sort of like him, but younger?" the Namekian blurted out. The demon glared at him, his temper growing increasingly irritated by the frustration he felt, as well as the drain on his vitality.
"Fine! If I kill you, Kami-Sama will surely suffer greatly from your loss, won't he? Since you must be close," Garlic threatened, concentrating a large amount of ki in his hand. But Piccolo didn't react; he simply burst out laughing.
"You could say no since I'm his enemy, or at least I've considered myself as such," the Namekian replied, causing Garlic Jr. to tilt his head in doubt.
"You know, I used to think of myself as a demon too before I found out I was a Namekian. But I also know we come from the Demon Realm, so technically, I am a demon. There's just one thing I don't understand." Piccolo raised a finger, still not too concerned about the growing crowd Garlic Jr. was gathering.
"Why didn't you bring more people? Why rush? Wouldn't it have been better to hide, gather information, and plan things out carefully while waiting for reinforcements? That's what I would have done if I wanted to conquer Earth." Garlic Jr. frowned at Piccolo's words, and though he disliked it, he had to admit his enemy was right.
Just as the demon was about to respond, two things alerted him. First, he detected three new presences approaching at great speed. Second, he saw the enormous ape floating in the sky, growling savagely at the moon.
"So that's the legendary Ozaru, the symbol of a race that has conquered countless planets and whose fame has even reached the Demon Realm," Garlic Jr. muttered before firing his energy cannon at the monster because he didn't want his fortress destroyed.
However, the Ozaru simply turned and opened its mouth, unleashing a thick beam of reddish energy. The beam clashed with the demon's Ki attack for a moment before completely engulfing it.
The Ozaru's attack flew toward Garlic Jr.'s previous position since he and Piccolo had moved away the moment the giant ape set eyes on them.
'His power has increased even more than in that strange form before. They're clearly of the same nature, but this one is much more complete. Besides, his transformation didn't drain his vitality as mine did. Perhaps that's the difference between something achieved through effort and something that comes naturally?' Garlic Jr. watched the Ozaru with envy. However, he couldn't get distracted any longer because those three new energy signatures had made their presence known.
"Is this the enemy you're talking about, Piccolo? He really is strong! I've been wanting more action for a long time. Participating in the tournament with its many rules is fine, but a genuine fight to the death would be great too." One of the figures was Yamcha, whose long hair blew in the wind.
"He doesn't have corrupt energy, but he's undoubtedly used complicated methods to increase his power. We could feel his energy rising from a distance," said Ten Shinhan, one of the figures, who fixed his three eyes on the demon, examining him carefully.
"It's become a threat to Earth. Luckily, we were warned in time. Can you imagine if it had attacked the surface directly?" murmured the third figure, Krillin. His expression was stern, and a layer of intense orange energy emanated from his body, signaling that he was ready to fight.
"Is this what you meant?" Garlic Jr. asked Piccolo directly. Piccolo gave a slight smile and nodded to the three who had arrived. They nodded back in kind.
"Although I prefer to fight alone, sometimes you have to work as a team to eliminate threats," the Namekian replied without a trace of shame. Someone like Garlic Jr. was far too dangerous to be left alive, so every effort must be made.
"Good! Well played! If I have no way out, then...let's go all out!" Garlic Jr.'s aura blazed, not like Krillin's ki, but rather a burning process that consumed his entire being.
It hurt like hell. His flesh, blood, bones, vitality, and soul seemed to begin burning, serving as fuel for his power. His energy soared beyond previous levels and reacted slightly with the environment as storm clouds filled the sky.
"Even if I die, I'll take you with me, Namekian!" the demon shouted before flying toward Piccolo. This time, however, it wasn't like when he'd been fighting two enemies on his own.
Although he was stronger, his enemies were also more numerous, with fighting styles and patterns he didn't yet fully understand. However, his rage caused the caution he had worked so hard to maintain to vanish, marking his final step toward complete ruin.
A strange energy sphere headed toward him. He simply swatted at it, trying to knock it away. However, the sphere moved strangely, veering off course and striking him directly in the chest before exploding.
A strange ki seeped into his body, causing chaos alongside his own unbridled energy. Yamcha had come prepared, executing a sneak attack before his enemy could anticipate it.
The opening created by the warrior allowed Ten Shinhan and Krillin to launch their Ki attacks, severely wounding the demon. He floated slightly in the air before reacting. Then, Krillin launched another of his attacks: a yellow energy disc spinning at high speed and giving off so much heat that the air around it gradually distorted.
The disc severed one of Garlic Jr.'s arms. Several thin arcs of energy then sliced the arm into pieces, which were struck by a beam of Ki and reduced to ashes.
The demon was somewhat dismayed, but he had already accepted his impending demise. He simply growled as he unleashed all his power with his remaining hand. A scattered wave of energy was sent out that seemed magnificent and imposing at first.
However, due to the way he launched it, it could do little damage. With minimal protection, the warriors survived. Garlic Jr. could only pant with exhaustion. His breath was hot, his mouth tasted of blood, and his eyes were bloodshot.
"I..." the demon wanted to say something, but he froze when he sensed something behind him, and as he turned, he saw thick brown fur. When he looked up, he saw only the open mouth of the enormous Ozaru, who stared at him cruelly with eyes redder than his own.
He knew in that moment that his end had come.