[Third Person POV]

The rage within Escarot, the one that had given forth the key to access his power, turned into something new for him as he stared at the Beast, at his blood, something… he couldn’t quite explain how or why, but one thing was certain for Escarot, he wanted to fight the Beast, at any cost.

"Hahahaha!" Escarot laughed to himself, high with the power he had just acquired. "C'mon, Beast! Show me the power of the Saiyan race!"

The Beast reached to his opponent's height to strike with all his strength using his right fist. Escarot easily dodged by jumping over the attack which blew up a good half the spiritual environment. 

The Beast, however, turned as quickly as he could, to give a violent elbow to his opponent, but Escarot slipped under the arm and flung him a kick to the face.

Already upset, the Beast moved to counter attack, but the newly empowered saiyan did not give him enough time, landing a violent right hook, followed by a kick, and a blow to his head, each chained instantly, one after the other, converging in a storm of blows that left no room for reaction.

The Beast, once the predator, the hunter, was now currently being dominated by his former prey. 

However, even under this onslaught, something snapped within the Beast, waking it up as it managed to grab the wrist of Escarot, who was about to dish out another strike. 

Escarot tried to hit him with one hand, but again, the Beast parried the blow, before the Beast landed a knee strike to him.

But even through the unbearable pain, a single thought echoed within Escarot's soul.

When was the last time he felt such joy? Had fighting always been this fun? He couldn't ever remember such excitement, such thrill against an opponent! He was breathless! He felt a little egotistical feeling so in love with this fight, when the opponent was him.

Smiling as the knee dug deeper, Escarot was thrown so hard that he crossed halfway through the spirit world. He caught himself just after slowing his fall in second and holding his head. 

He had tears in his eyes because of the force of the blow! Or was it because of joy?

He felt so many things right now. Wrath, pain, joy… it was all so confusing, so intoxicating, and he wanted more!

The Beast rushed at him who dodged by shifting slightly to the side, while at the same time trying to land a punch by whirling around, which the Beast evaded by ducking under the attack with ease as it counterattacked with a single straight punch. 

Wasting no time, Escarot weaved through the attack, grabbing his arm and with all his strength used it as a lever to launch the Beast skyward. 

Then pointing his outstretched hand in the Beast’s direction, Escarot prepared a powerful attack, one he had just made up in the spurt of the moment.

"Pulse!"

A huge wave of blue ki crashed into the Beast with an explosive blast, swallowing the entire place.

"Come on, I know you want some more! Just as I know THAT wasn’t enough to kill you!" Escarot roared, taunting his inner Beast to continue their fun.

The Beast clenched his fists, his rage increasing, and alongside it his strength also grew... The smoke cleared entirely, revealing him out of the depths of the dust.

Faced with this display of power, this change of pace, a green aura appeared around the Beast, one that seemed to compete and surpass Escarot’s own aura 

The Beast’s power had increased once more.

But this did not seem to frighten Escarot. On the contrary, it seemed to excite him.

"Come on, show me your power!" he cried at the Beast.

The Beast, accepting the challenge, suddenly rushed at him, who was flying above him. Surprised by the sudden increase of speed, Escarot wasn’t able to dodge the blow, and instead received a strike which distorted the very fabric of their spiritual realm, stunning Escarot for a few seconds during which the Beast continued to unrestrainedly beat him. 

Various emotions coursed through Escarot, but only one thing was clear, he felt no fear... no fear at all…

By the time the Beast finally stopped his succession of blows that would have killed Escarot a million times over in the past, he ended his chain of attack with a kick, blasting Escarot off into the ground.

"Finally," he said, still smiling despite the blood, "I have to fight all out!"

As Escarot said this, his aura took on a more violent, covered blue flashes of lightning that seemed to emanate from his very breath, as Escarot activated his oldest technique: Surge. Everything was covered in a bright flash for a few seconds, and when it faded the Beast saw Escarot, right there, smiling, fists clenched, ready to face him.

Undaunted by this sudden increase of power, the Beast rushed again at his foe, both excited to see him alive and the fact he still had a chance to tear him apart.

"Round two!"

He flung at the Beast and kicked him in the face, which made him look back. Escarot took the opportunity to give a second kick in the stomach that was unprotected by his opponent, and then went on to a third, an elbow to the face. 

The Beast screamed in rage, and took the opportunity to attack Escarot. From Escarot's right hand appeared a glimmer, a concentration of blue energy, which he immediately launched at him. The explosion was almost as strong as the Pulse attack he used previously. 

Thick and white smoke enveloped the monster, which ultimately was not at all affected. Angry, he threw himself at Escarot with his whole body, leaving the smoke like a demon, arms forward to catch the person he hated and wanted to see suffer. 

Escarot dodged, and turning his hand into a blade using his energy, he cut into the Beast’s flesh, slashing him across the stomach, before landing a kick to its face, blasting him away.

“Thank you for showing me how fun this can be, however we have to put an end to this… even with Surge, I feel I will have a problem keeping up with you if I don’t end this while I’m still stronger than you,” Escarot said, looking at the Beast.

The Beast in response simply roared, his power increasing as he rushed at Escarot.

Escarot smiled for a moment, before he began screaming, his aura increasing as he pushed Surge to the limit, concentrating all of his power into a singular point between his hands.

And for a moment, the world froze. There was a sensation of everything growing denser, like he just doubled the planet’s gravity by screaming. In his palms, blue energy condensed with such pressure that his knuckles whitened, every bone screaming in protest. Electricity arced up his forearms, sparking across his skin, equal parts pain and pleasure. As his heart rattled; he tasted blood, but it didn't matter. Nothing else did.

“Eraser Cannon!”

The blue sphere, which was slowly turning green, expanded with such intensity he thought his hands would evaporate. It dragged the light out of the sky, feeding on everything that wasn’t nailed down. And with one last scream, Escarot grinned. “TAKE IT—!”

And so, he released the attack.

It was like being at ground zero of a sun going nova. The air burned out of existence. Time stuttered. There was nothing except that column of energy, a primal howl that ripped through the Beast and him, blasting both of them into oblivion. The fabric of the spirit world started to tear at the edges, reality splintering as the attack carved a gouge through the landscape. The Beast screamed, tried to push back, but it was swept up, disintegrating in pieces, first the outer shell of darkness, then muscle, bone, the raw, ugly core at the center. It took longer than he expected for it to die.

“I… did it,” Escarot muttered, looking over the massive crater his attack had created.

[Escarot POV]

Tired, I stood, swaying, my feet sunk in a crater that hadn’t been there seconds before. All around, blackened glass stretched as far as I could see, glittering with afterimages of the attack. I coughed and wiped my nose, but the blood kept running.

I had won, but if that was the case, why was I still here?

Wasn’t that the point of this entire thing?

I had defeated the Beast, my inner conflict, so why was I still trapped in this spiritual realm?

“You look like shit.”

I turned.

He was there, leaning against one of the half-formed buildings like he’d been watching the whole time.

Hands in his pockets.

Relaxed.

Like none of that had just happened.

“…You always show up after the hard part, huh?” I muttered.

He grinned. “Of course. I’m the moral support. Very important role.”

I snorted, shaking my head slightly.

“Yeah. Real helpful.”

He pushed himself off the wall and walked closer, eyes scanning me—not worried, just… checking.

Then he nodded.

“Still in one piece. More or less.”

“More or less,” I repeated.

For a moment, neither of us said anything.

The space around us shifted slightly again, the city warping at the edges, like it couldn’t decide what it wanted to be.

I glanced around.

“…He’s gone.”

“Yeah,” he said simply.

I frowned.

“That’s it?”

“What did you expect? A trophy?” he shrugged.

“I don’t know. I expected to leave the place… that’s for sure.”

A pause.

Then he smirked slightly.

“Well… you didn’t die this time. That’s new.”

I huffed a short laugh.

“Yeah.”

That was new.

I rolled my shoulders, loosening the tension that hadn’t fully left my body.

It felt… different.

Not calmer.

Just… quieter.

Like something that had been screaming in the back of my head finally shut up.

I looked at him again.

“So if that wasn’t the task I had… what now?”

He didn’t answer immediately.

Instead, he walked past me, turning his head slightly as he looked out over the empty city.

Then he stopped.

“…You really thought that was it?” he asked.

Something in his tone made me pause.

“…What do you mean?”

He glanced back at me.

Not smiling this time.

“Come on,” he said. “You’re not that dumb, please tell me we are not this dumb.”

I frowned.

“I just fought myself for—” I stopped, exhaling. “I don’t even know how long. Got ripped apart more times than I can count. And you’re telling me that wasn’t the point?”

“I’m saying,” he replied, turning fully toward me now, “that was a point.”

Not the point.

That sat there for a second.

Uncomfortable.

I crossed my arms slightly, irritation creeping in.

“Then what the hell was the rest of it?”

He tilted his head.

“You tell me.”

I stared at him.

He stared back.

“So what’s the problem?”

He didn’t answer right away.

Instead, he walked closer again, stopping just a few steps in front of me.

Then he tapped his own chest.

“Half.”

I didn’t like how fast that word landed.

“…Half?”

“Yeah,” he said simply. “Half.”

I stared at him.

He shrugged lightly.

“You dealt with that side,” he said, jerking his head vaguely in the direction the Beast had disappeared. “The one that wants to tear everything apart. The one that doesn’t think, doesn’t hesitate, doesn’t care.”

I didn’t respond.

Didn’t need to.

He kept going.

“But you’re still here,” he added, pointing at me now. “And you have to deal with the oldest part of you. The part that thinks too much. Questions too much. Overanalyzes every thing. The part of your spirit that always tries to figure everything out like it’s a puzzle you can solve if you stare at it long enough.”

“…You.”

“Bingo,” he smiled.

I went quiet.

“Look, I’m not saying that’s bad,” he added. “It kept you alive. It got you this far. But don’t pretend it’s not part of the problem too.”

I frowned.

“…Problem?”

He gave me a look.

“You are not me, I died, you are something new, and pretending you aren’t will only hurt you on the long run.”

I looked at him.

Really looked this time.

No pressure.

No killing intent.

“…So what,” I said slowly. “I fight you now?”

He blinked.

Then snorted.

“Fuck no, I don’t want to have a Warhammer death,” he said. “Hell, give me a gun and I’ll shoot myself.”

I blinked.

“…Excuse me?”

“Relax,” he waved it off. “I’m kidding. Just blast me away, as painlessly as you can make it, and go out there and give me a lot of Saiyan grandbabies or whatever, I don’t care.”

I grinned despite the pounding in my skull. “You’re a lot less dramatic than the other one.”

He shrugged. “Contrary to popular belief, throwing them hands isn’t my specialty. And this isn’t a shonen, even though it… kinda is, but the point is I don’t have a secret power or anything… so you know,”

“So?” I said, breaking first. “Is this where I deliver the killing blow and the credits roll?”

He looked up. “Maybe?”

I smiled.

He walked around me, slow. “You did the fighting. You survived. You’re stronger than ever. But you’re still standing in a bunker in your own head talking to a ghost. That doesn’t seem right to me.”

He looked at me, one brow raised.

I waited.

“I don’t know how it works for Saiyans, but humans are supposed to be good at letting go. So, let go of me.”

I took a breath, which was weird, because I was pretty sure I didn’t need to breathe here. But maybe that was the muscle memory of a lifetime spent choking on my own doubts. The old me—stood there, hands in his pockets, kicking at imaginary dust on the ground. He looked like he wanted to keep talking, but I could tell there was nothing left to say.

He’d already made up his mind.

“So, you want me to just… move on.” It wasn’t a question.

He nodded. “It’s your story now, you overpowered brat. Don’t let the ghosts write it for you.”

The city around us was crumbling, cracks racing up the sides of buildings, the sky flickering. Like the reality of this place depended on us both being here, and now I was about to break that symmetry. I looked at him, my old face, my human face, and for a second I almost felt sorry for him. But he smiled, like he knew the punchline to a joke I would never understand.

“Don’t suppose you want a last smoke?” I grinned. “Or a burger?”

He shook his head. “I think I’m good, trying to cut back on spiritual carbs.”

I snorted at the joke, lifting my hand, as ki formed between my palms—a clean blue orb, small and neat, no drama this time. He looked at it, then back at me, and nodded.

No words.

No regrets.

Just acceptance.

I closed my eyes and released the attack.

The orb hit him in the chest, and for half a heartbeat, he was just a blue silhouette dissolving at the edges. Then, like someone switched off the lights, he was gone.

The city—my city—shuddered. The buildings folded in on themselves, glass fracturing into pixelated snow. The sky turned a blinding white, then a velvet black, then nothing at all. For a second, I was weightless, then falling, falling through the void.