(A/N: Shoutout to our new Patreon, LazyAsh! Don't worry, even if you're lazy, you've still leveled up straight into the Legends tier! Bonus Chapter!)
"Haha! Turn around again, I'm still behind you!" Karnel's voice carried a cold amusement that made the very air seem to chill. His tone was deliberately theatrical, designed to unnerve his opponent.
The truth was, Karnel had arrived on Namek much earlier, floating invisibly in the sky while Slug tortured Nail. He'd watched the entire brutal display with growing disgust, though he had to admit Slug's methods were crude compared to some of the creative tortures he'd read about in Earth's history books.
With his energy signature completely suppressed, neither fighter below had detected his presence. Part of him had been tempted to let Nail suffer a bit longer, the proud warrior had always looked down on others during Karnel's previous visit to Namek, and a lesson in humility might do him good. But watching someone get beaten to death wasn't entertainment, even for someone as morally flexible as himself.
So he'd intervened at the last possible moment, sending Slug flying just before that final, fatal kick could connect with Nail's skull.
BOOM!
The unknown threat sent Slug into a complete panic. He spun wildly, firing dozens of energy blasts in every direction. The explosions tore up the landscape, sending clouds of dust and debris into the air until everything was shrouded in a gray haze.
For several long moments, the mysterious voice fell silent. Slug's tense breathing was the only sound in the smoky aftermath.
"Hmph! Just another coward who relies on tricks instead of real power," Slug muttered, wiping sweat from his brow. After scanning the area one more time and finding nothing, he turned to fly toward the Grand Elder's dwelling.
He made it exactly two steps before something soft but incredibly strong wrapped around his ankle.
"Going somewhere, green guy?"
Before Slug could react, the grip on his leg yanked him off his feet and slammed him face-first into the ground with tremendous force. The impact created a perfectly Slug-shaped crater in the earth.
Karnel finally revealed himself, standing casually at the crater's edge. His Saiyan tail swished back and forth behind him like a cat preparing to pounce, and the ancient earrings glinted in Namek's triple sunlight.
"There you are!" Slug snarled, pulling himself out of the hole with considerably less dignity than he'd prefer. "The bastard who's been playing games with me!"
"Guilty as charged," Karnel replied with a mock bow. "You know, I was having such a peaceful day before you decided to start a massacre. I'm still deciding how annoyed I should be about that." His expression grew cold. "I am curious though, are you interested in a career change? I could use someone to clean up after my pets. The pay is terrible and the work is degrading, but it seems like it would suit you."
The insult hit home. Slug's face flushed darker green, his power level spiking as rage coursed through him. "Don't think you can mock me just because you got lucky with a cheap shot! I'll show you what real cruelty looks like!"
"I'd be fascinated to see it," Karnel said conversationally. "Please, demonstrate."
Unable to win a battle of words, Slug decided to let his fists do the talking. He vanished in a blur of speed, appearing behind Karnel with a devastating punch aimed at his spine. At the same time, his other hand reached for that swishing tail, every fighter knew a Saiyan's tail was their greatest weakness.
"Big, strong, but not very bright," Karnel observed, casually stepping aside. The powerful punch sailed harmlessly past his ear. With fluid grace, he leaped up and used his own tail like a whip, wrapping it around Slug's neck and hurling him skyward. "Didn't anyone tell you it's rude to grab someone's tail without permission?"
As Slug tumbled through the air, Karnel's hands moved in a familiar pattern. Several small energy spheres materialized around him, each one glowing with concentrated ki.
"Here, catch!" he called out cheerfully.
The energy blasts streaked upward with perfect accuracy, all converging on a very specific target. The explosions that followed were relatively small in terms of raw destructive power, but their placement was absolutely devastating.
"AAAAAHHHHHH!" Slug's agonized scream echoed across the Namekian landscape as he rocketed through the sky like a malfunctioning firework, smoke trailing behind him from a very unfortunate location.
"Oh dear," Karnel said with utterly false sympathy, watching the smoking Namekian crash-land in the distance. "That looked painful. And embarrassing. Mostly embarrassing, really."
The energy attacks hadn't been particularly powerful, under normal circumstances, they wouldn't have done more than sting someone with Slug's combat strength. But there were certain areas of anatomy where even a small explosion could cause disproportionate trauma.
After several minutes of ominous silence, Slug finally managed to stand up. One hand was pressed protectively against his rear while the other trembled with pure, undiluted rage.
"You... you BASTARD!" he roared, his voice cracking slightly. "How DARE you use such a despicable attack! I'll capture you alive and torture you for a thousand years!"
At this point, Slug's hatred for Karnel had completely eclipsed his original mission. The Dragon Balls, his revenge against Namek, even his dreams of conquest, all of it was forgotten in favor of making this tail-swishing tormentor pay.
The Namekian regeneration abilities were already working, of course. Their recovery rate was legendary throughout the universe, they could regrow entire limbs in minutes. A little localized damage would heal quickly enough.
"So, how was that for a new experience?" Karnel asked with a perfectly straight face. "Educational?"
"RAAAAAAHHHHH!"
Slug's full power erupted like a volcanic explosion. His 300,000 combat strength blazed to life, sending shockwaves across the landscape as he launched into a berserker assault. His fists moved like lightning, each punch carrying enough force to shatter mountains.
None of them came even close to hitting their target.
Karnel moved through the devastating barrage like he was taking a casual stroll through a garden. He seemed to know exactly where each attack was going to land before Slug even threw it, stepping aside with minimal effort and perfect timing.
It was like watching someone dance with a hurricane.
After several minutes of frantic attacking, Slug finally stopped, gasping for breath. He'd thrown hundreds of strikes with everything he had, and hadn't managed to touch so much as a hair on his opponent's head.
"Finished already?" Karnel asked, crossing his arms. "I was just starting to enjoy the workout."
"How... how is this possible?" Slug panted, staring at the completely unruffled figure before him. "You're not even trying!"
"Oh, I'll try something," Karnel said with a wicked grin. "Here, let me give you a few more—"
"NO!" Slug instinctively covered his backside with both hands, eyes wide with terror.
"Relax, I was kidding," Karnel laughed. "This time."
The relief on Slug's face was short-lived. Karnel's form blurred and suddenly he was right beside the exhausted Namekian, one fist drawn back casually.
"Gotcha."
The punch caught Slug in the ribs with a sickening crack of breaking bones. The impact sent him skidding across the ground for nearly a hundred meters, carving a deep furrow in the earth before he finally came to a stop.
"Cough... cough..." Slug struggled to his hands and knees, blood trickling from his mouth. For the first time since arriving on Namek, real fear flickered in his eyes.