In the depths of Hell, where time flowed differently, Pepkorn's senses tingled with an ominous awareness. The surge of power from Draft, echoing across realms, reached even the desolate landscapes of the underworld. Pepkorn's eyes widened with a mix of surprise and urgency. He realized that the time for his grand plan had drawn far closer than he anticipated, and he needed to act NOW before the newfound strength of Draft became an insurmountable obstacle.
With determination etched on his face, Pepkorn booked it out of Hell. He soared towards the surface, breaking through the cloud barrier that separated Hell from the rest of Other World. Emerging into the afterlife, Pepkorn cast a glance at the familiar figure of Uranai Baba. The fortune-teller, who had a knack for divining the future, turned to face him with a knowing smile. "Well, well, well. If it isn't Baezel's asshole stepfather. What brings you back so soon?"
Pepkorn wasted no time on pleasantries. "Cut the crap, soothsayer, I need you to do me a solid. Take me to Namek."
Uranai Baba raised an eyebrow, her crystal ball shimmering with ethereal light. "Namek? Why?!"
"I have a plan, and it needs me to be in the living world for 24 hours. And I suggest that you comply..." Pepkorn said, with a threatening tone. He pointed his hand at Baba, with a ki blast in hand. "You die."
"Well, well, it seems you've got something big in mind. I hope you're prepared for the journey."
"I'm always prepared," Pepkorn replied with a sly grin.
Uranai Baba extended her hand, and the space around them twisted and contorted. In the blink of an eye, they vanished, leaving the mortal realm behind and hurtling through the vastness of space towards the distant planet Namek. It was...pretty quick, actually. The planet looked almost exactly the same as it did during the Baezel Yami arc. Green skies, teal grass, yellow clouds, thin-ass trees that look like tall bushes, small red mushrooms scattered here and there, and its signature 3 suns. GOD, this place looks boring.
"Welp...you're here. Enjoy your 24 hours," Baba said, as she disappeared to Other World. Pepkorn smirked, as he took in his surroundings. Namek looked somewhat similar to Earth, but this was mostly new to him. He tried to sense for any life he could, and almost instantly flew up to a random Namekian. He grabbed him by the collar of his top, and looked him dead in his eyes, demanding that he find the Dragon Balls for him. Scared for his life, he nodded, as he motioned for Pepkorn to come along.
Meanwhile, on Earth, Phoenix and Radichio awaited Draft's return. They had sensed the massive ki in Other World, and knew that it was Draft, but he couldn't be reached at the time - neither of them had learned Teleportation. They weren't exactly sure how to spend...however long it would take, for Draft to come back. They then heard an audible * POP * sound. He had finally returned, with Baezel. Draft's hair was slightly spiked up, like it was in the last chapter.
"I'm finally back! And I've got new power to show you all," Draft said. The gang stepped out into the backyard, as Baezel and Draft stared at each other. They were about to have their first rematch in a long time. They hovered several feet above the ground, to try and minimize damage. They knew that the neighborhood was going to look quite different after this. Baezel and Draft clasped their fists, as they both roared at the top of their lungs. Baezel's shirt burst off and his eyes turned yellow, as his tail turned red. Fur immediately grew around his body, and red eyeliner covered his eyes, as his black hair spiked up and grew out. He unleashed the golden aura of Super Saiyan 4 once more, like an old coat that doesn't quite fit him as well as it used to. Draft burst his white aura, with blue electricity dancing around it. The two warriors smirked, as Baezel nodded to Phoenix. She put up a large orange barrier, to try and protect the neighborhood from being destroyed.
Baezel vs Draft. Super Saiyan 4 vs Potential Unleashed. A rematch that no one really needed, but was bound to happen anyway. The two warriors went into their battle stances once more, as they prepared to face off again. They both burst dashed towards each other, their fists interlocked with each other like they were all those years ago. They removed their hands from each other's grasps, as Baezel started strong with a fist barrage. Draft effortlessly dodged them all, as he followed up with a gut punch. But there was a surprise - Baezel had put both hands together and guarded the punch with his palms, which allowed him to knee Draft in the chin. It disoriented the cyborg, and Baezel flew back a bit, firing a barrage of ki blasts. Draft opened his eyes and performed a kiai, dispersing all of the ki blasts. Some hit the barrier.
Blocking, Baezel dashed towards Draft once again, now clashing fists. He seemed to be losing the fist clash, actually. That's right! Baezel was genuinely weaker than Draft once again. Similarly to their first fight. Though there were no established rules, he felt that what he was about to do was cheating. Temporarily, his leg emitted the red glow of the Kaioken, as he then kicked Draft in the cheek. He then performed a barrage of kicks to the face, before following up with a heavy kick to the gut, temporarily using a Kaioken x3. Draft was slammed into the barrier, now on his back. Baezel then began to perform the iconic hand pose, as he prepared a Kamehameha. However, this one was different. This one was stronger than a regular one. He wasn't just charging up a normal one - he was charging up the Super Kamehameha! Seeing this, Draft put two fingers to his head, as he began to charge up a purple ki sphere. "Are you willing to give me enough time to charge this?" Draft asked. "I'll give you all the time you need," Baezel replied. They continued to charge their attacks, their ki rising higher and higher. Draft's ki seemed to be twice as potent as Baezel's, even though he was charging up a Super Kamehameha.
"KA...ME..."
Draft continued to charge up his Makankosappo, with veins appearing on his arm.
"HA...ME..."
Electricity danced around his two fingers. The barrier began to look like a plasma ball, with blue bolts of lightning shooting out around it. They really weren't fucking around...
"MAKANKOSAPPO!!!" Draft screamed, as he thrust his arm forward. A large orange beam with a secondary blue beam coiling around it, along with blue electricity dancing around it, burst forth from his fingers. Baezel was no idiot, he could sense that Draft's ki was superior to his. Should that Makankosappo hit him, he'd probably die soon after. Clashing with it probably wouldn't work, since it would tear through his attack. What could he do...? Then, a lightbulb lit in his head. With some quick thinking, he used one of the hands he was using to charge up his Super Kamehameha and teleported above Draft. He looked up, and saw what was happening, but it was too little, too late. Baezel thrusted his hand forward, shouting out the last syllable...
"HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!" He unleashed a giant blue wave of ki, as Draft was overwhelmed by it. The Makankosappo dissipated, as Draft was then shoved to the bottom of the barrier. And not one to be outdone, he unleashed more of his ki, this time using both hands. Draft couldn't move, and the barrier began to crack due to the pressure being placed on one of its points. The cyborg struggled, as the beam had engulfed all of his limbs. He couldn't get out of this. He didn't know Teleportation, either, so that wasn't an option. And as far as he was concerned, this was his maximum power. Once Baezel felt that the damage he did was sufficient, he dissipated his beam and descended down to the bottom, outstretching a hand to the cyborg. He got up, and Phoenix put the barrier down.
"Sorry for exerting such force on you. Are you alright?" Baezel asked. "Yes, yes, I'm fine. I'm just a little banged up, is all," Draft replied.
Amidst the serene landscape of Namek, the sky painted with hues of green and three suns casting a warm glow, Porunga materialized before Pepkorn. The skies were pitch black, and the massive dragon's eyes glowed with ancient wisdom, as he awaited the wishes of the one who had summoned him.
Pepkorn, with a triumphant grin on his face, raised his hand, ready to make his desires known in the ancient Namekian tongue.
"I shall speak my wishes to you, dragon...with this interpreter," Pepkorn declared, his voice resonating with an otherworldly authority. He grabbed a Namekian by the collar, telling him that he would be his interpreter. "Porunga, grant me my first wish! Revive me, bring me back from the depths of death, and let my essence return to the living!"
"Ngo dzumeiuru Iji furrega, jIfudakku resupu mo!" the Namekian shouted.
Porunga's eyes glowed brighter as the first wish echoed through the Namekian air. The dragon's immense power surged, and a wave of energy enveloped Pepkorn. It was as if the very fabric of reality was reshaping itself to accommodate his return.
A blinding light faded, revealing Pepkorn standing there, alive and more powerful than ever. His eyes glinted with renewed vigor, and his halo fizzled out of existence, signifying the return of his formidable existence. Had any of the Grand Battlers been around to sense this, they could sense that Pepkorn was comparable to Baezel from a few months ago.
"Your first wish is granted. Speak your next."
"For my second wish, Porunga, grant me full knowledge and mastery of the techniques employed by Baezel and his allies. Make me the ultimate warrior, capable of countering any move they may unleash!"
"Akku chadzuruku biruya'me yuryonpu'dzuru' ku'uru' keruta'. Dokkume chu' yurundai, chabaddo ngashiya Sutsume chenmou neiyai ngashiya ngasuuru'gomu nakkuyai nguruburun'na' ngashiya ngubuchoumou nakkuyai ngurubuuru'goma' tsurunku' ngasubogu keirrusu nayai ngrunbogu ruru gotsupu' 'ei Sakkuchoumou nee."
"Jesus, that's a long wish," Pepkorn mentioned. "Is it that hard to translate my shit?"
The Namekian dragon's eyes glowed once again, and an aura of knowledge surrounded Pepkorn. It was as if the collective skills and techniques of Baezel and his allies were being imprinted onto Pepkorn's consciousness. In an instant, he gained a profound understanding of their strengths, weaknesses, and the intricacies of their combat styles. If he worded his wish correctly, not ONLY did he know all of the Grand Battlers' moves, he could read them like a book and crush them like insects.
"Your second wish is granted. State your final request."
"Porunga, for my third and final wish, teleport me to Hell so that I can get this over with. The first few steps of my plans are complete."
"Peppukon furuku bureegurafube..."
"Your third wish is granted. May your newfound power serve you well."
As the dragon dispersed, fading into the Namekian skies, Pepkorn's eyes burned with a renewed sense of purpose. He was then almost instantly teleported into Hell, where his allies now resided. Now armed with his revived body, and the knowledge of his adversaries' techniques, Pepkorn was ready to embark on his next move. The stage was set for a confrontation that would echo across the realms, and the fate of Earth, Namek, possibly the entire living universe if he felt like it, hung in the balance.
"So...what did you wish for? You don't seem to be immortal," Zendoria commented. "You don't seem stronger either."
"Oh? Watch this. HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!" Pepkorn's muscles temporarily bulged out, before going back to their normal size. Steam emitted from his pores, as red electricity began to generate around his body. His hair began to rise up as well.
"Kaioken!"
The red aura of the Kaioken flared up around Pepkorn's body, as he started to take it up to higher multipliers - three, four, ten, twenty - before detransforming. The villains smiled. This was PERFECT! They essentially had their own little version of Cell on their team. The only difference between Pepkorn and Baezel Yami at this point was access to a tail, knowledge of the fusion dance, at least 1 form, the ability to abuse Zenkai boosts (Pepkorn has the normal Zenkai rates for a Saiyan, Yami got a solid 3x boost per Zenkai) and raw power. Yami could crush Pepkorn like an insect, but on equal footing, Pepkorn would likely have the upper hand.
"Now, witness the true extent of my power! Of our power!" Pepkorn declared, his eyes ablaze with determination.
As the stage was set for Pepkorn's grand plan, the atmosphere in Hell grew charged with malevolence. The time had come for the Soul Ascendance, a forbidden ritual that promised boundless power at the expense of one's own soul. Pepkorn, driven by unrelenting ambition, prepared to traverse the treacherous path laid out by this ancient rite.
In a darkened sanctum within Hell, Pepkorn initiated the ritual. Surrounded by the dim glow of departed souls, he recited the Chant of Unbinding with a resonance that seemed to reverberate through the very fabric of the underworld.
"O souls, eternal slumber's chains undone,
By twilight's glow, your power freely spun.
Release your life's eternal ember's gleam,
Surrender all to my nefarious dream."
The departed spirits, aglow with otherworldly light, formed a sinister vortex, channeling their spectral might towards Pepkorn, the living conduit. The energy flowed like an unholy river, drawn from the very essence of the departed. In solemn unity, Pepkorn continued the chant, his voice resonating with an otherworldly cadence.
As the essence of the departed was drawn forth, Pepkorn partook in the malevolent stream. With each draught, he absorbed the fallen's strength, growing more powerful with every passing moment. The dark energies swirled around him, creating an ominous aura that signaled the impending climax of the ritual. As they all held hands and repeated the Chant of Unbinding, the dead souls, including Baezel Yami, Zendoria, Nori, and Gangal, became part of a swirling vortex of spectral energy.
Rocks in the hellish landscape trembled as if shaken by an unseen force. The atmosphere crackled with an otherworldly energy that seemed to defy the very fabric of the underworld. Pepkorn's hair stood on end, and a crimson outline radiated from his body, indicating the intense power coursing through him. The gathered souls' halos glowed with an unearthly pallor, contributing to the macabre scene unfolding.
The living conductor, Pepkorn, partook in the malevolent stream of energy flowing from the spectral vortex. With each draught, he absorbed the essence of the departed, their strength becoming his own. The ritual reached its crescendo, and Pepkorn's transformation into the Supervillain state commenced.
A surge of power emanated from Pepkorn, and his body underwent a profane metamorphosis. His skin assumed a lustrous hue akin to gleaming metal, and his eyes blazed with a purple inferno. His hair, now a bright white, defied gravity as it rose above his head. The aura surrounding him became a maelstrom of black and white, punctuated by arcs of sinister purple lightning. Pepkorn had achieved the dreaded Supervillain state,
As the ritual concluded, a large black and white pillar of light with purple electricity emanated from Pepkorn, casting an eerie glow across the desolate landscape of Hell. The rocks that had trembled exploded into tiny little pieces, and a palpable silence descended upon the realm. There seemed to be a large hole torn in the clouds that separated Hell from the rest of Other World, as a new ki had emerged. A ki so powerful, that it could be sensed from outside of Other World. It could be sensed in the Kaioshin Realm. It could be sensed in the living world as well.
Baezel Yami, Zendoria, Nori, and Gangal lay on the ground, their bodies contorted and exhausted. It appeared as though their literal souls had been sucked out during the ritual. Their skin took on a duller hue, and they seemed far weaker than before. The toll exacted by the Soul Ascendance was evident in their diminished state.
Pepkorn, now in the Supervillain transformation, surveyed the aftermath of the ritual with a malevolent grin. He possessed a newfound strength, but the dire warning associated with the Soul Ascendance lingered—the gradual erosion of one's life, a descent into inevitable oblivion. He then detransformed. This was good...he had gained immeasurable power. Surely, this would be sufficient to achieve his plans.
The fate of the entire Seventh Universe and its inhabitants now rested in Pepkorn's formidable hands. The stage was set for a confrontation of cosmic proportions, and the repercussions of his actions would reverberate across the realms. The dark journey Pepkorn had undertaken had brought him unparalleled power, but the cost weighed heavily on the very fabric of his being. He would likely start whittling down his lifespan by using the transformation. That was its main drawback. It brought great strength at the cost of losing 1 month of his life for every second he stayed in the form. Knowing this risk, he had to work efficiently...