Lord Slug and Piccolo fly over the encampment by the spaceship. They travel straight toward the demonic tower within the ravine beyond. As soon as they enter, Guru is thrown over Slug's shoulder and painfully dropped onto the ground.
The grand elder moans as he collides with the cold hard surface. Piccolo winces when Slug frustratedly kicks the downed Guru.
"That's enough! He doesn't deserve to be kicked like that." Piccolo throws himself over the bloated Namekian.
Upon being stopped by Piccolo, the wound on Slug's chest pulsates in pain. He cries out in reaction, stopping him from voicing any complaints. He instead makes his way over to his empty throne. "Where's that fish-head!? He should have returned with more dragon balls by now!"
A slug-jin soldier relays the desired information. "Neither Cui's nor Commander Angila's unit have transmitted a reply. They'd both gone radio silent at around the same time. Perhaps they'd both been defeated by some heavy Namekian resistance."
Slug makes frustrated mutterings under his breath. Then raises his voice to a shout. "Damned idiots! I expected little from them, and they gave me nothing!" He growls like a beast after finishing his rant.
"It is the Namekian spirit that you did not account for. My people may be few, but they are not without courage." The grand elder coughs in between sentences. "In the face of even the great demon king of old, they will not die quietly. Hear this Snul, for every Namekian you slay, the fury of those who live grows ever greater."
"Quiet you!" Slug grips the elder by the throat and tosses him against the wall. "And for your information, my name's Lord Slug!"
"Slug?" The elder rolls to his side, gasping for air as he does. "He did not give you his name? Then, you are not a true reincarnation?"
Slug withdraws, caught off guard by the words of which he doesn't understand. "Whatever you're on about, I don't care!"
A true reincarnation. Piccolo is also shaken by the strange words. Knowing the truth of his birth, the implications slowly manifest in his mind. The image of the wicked Demon King Piccolo briefly flashes before his eyes.
Guru continues. "That burn on your chest, I suspect it is not born from a natural fire. That is the mark of demon fire. No proper Demon King can be harmed by such a thing."
The comment enrages Slug. "Why you, I'll tear that wretched tongue from your mouth!"
Before the three can argue further, a mighty quake rocks the building. The whole structure lifts and drops as if riding a large wave. Fear envelopes both Slug and Piccolo. Guru on the other hand responds with an already defeated mourning.
"You are right to be afraid. As you might have guessed, this quake is no natural phenomenon." Guru slumps his body upright against the wall. "Demon or Namekian, all are helpless against the fury of Namek, once stirred."
"You blasted old man! You better tell me what the hell is going on!"
"You must have your suspicions by now. I, however, have lived through this once before."
"You don't mean..."
"That is exactly right. First the winds, howling endlessly. They unleash a harshness and persistence that no tree nor forest can withstand. This is only a warning."
"A warning? I know the calamity too, those winds are all the story tells."
"How shallow you must ponder, you think this bit of bad weather would be enough to drive an intergalactic interdimensional super power to near complete extinction? Nay, should the chaos continue, the planet will unleash its fury. It will not be appeased until silence covers the world. It leaves none discriminated, Demon, Namekian, elder, or child. All will perish."
The dreaded message freezes the two in place.
"You should never have returned here with evil intent. Whether You had known it or not, you have opened a wound that has awakened our destruction. It is not too late, however. The planet may yet be calmed. Lay down your arms, and this may end in your survival."
Slug slowly thaws, anger replacing his terror. "Hahaha! You must think me the stupidest person alive. Trying to scare me into surrendering with a spooky story, I'm no child like the boy here!"
Slug extends his arm to grab the massive passive elder by the collar and tosses him up high above. The violent motion tears the robe from the Namekian's big round body. When Guru descends, Slug forces him into the wall behind him. The impact is so strong that it leaves the elder trapped in an indentation that conforms to his shape. His groans and moans cause Piccolo to look away.
Down below, another quake rocks the slug-jin encampment. Their efforts to rebuild their volleyball court are finally abandoned.
"Commander Medamatcha!" a soldier salutes the miniscule frog like commander that passes him.
"Hmm… It's been way too long. Angila should have returned by now."
"Yes sir, it's quite unusual. On another note, we require an alternative recreational activity. The ground is far too unstable and the wind far too strong for our usual beach ball tournament."
"Forget about that, you stupid grunt. Go take a unit and scout the perimeter."
The disgruntled slug-jin scour the area, illuminating what they see with standard flashlights. They fan out, creating great distance between them. One among them hears the sound of feet scuttle. He turns his light in its direction to be met with a frightening display. A determined looking cui-jin with bulging eyes and warpaint in the shape of an ugly looking fish returns his gaze.
"FOR LIEUTENANT CUI!" the cui-jin shouts, the chant is soon repeated by over a dozen more.
Before the patrol can react, they are swarmed by the ambush. The rest of the camp is slow to react. Soon a dozen of Commander Medamatcha's slug-jin lie dead. The startled defenders race to their posts in a scattered and disorganized effort. The camp's lighting leaves gaps filled by darkness. From within every shadow Cui's cui-jin spring. The proximity of the fighting forces them all into a melee struggle.
"Wha-Wha-Wha-What the hell is going on!" Medamatcha screeches. His arms flail above him.
The screams of his men are the only response he gets. Just as he prepares to enter the struggle, the sky fills with streaks of light. He cautiously takes pause, watching them as they descend.
"Gya! Fly, you fools!"
It's too late, within seconds the projectiles impact. Numerous slug-jin are blown through the air as the aerial strike impacts. The targets are indiscriminate, some collide with the battlefield, while others strike the space-craft fortress. As soon as the smoke clears, what had happened becomes clear. Leaping from their attack pods, Cui's Frieza Force reinforcements take to the field. Each one of them fights with the ferocity and power of ten slug-jin.
The encampment quickly becomes the sight of a bloody massacre. Overlooking it from the hill beyond is Cui himself. The sadistic smirk he gives only further imprints Moori's description of the fish-man to the warrior Namekians around him.
"There, that's the ship. Once my spectacular forces have cleared a path, we may lead your weaklings aboard. That's our ticket out of here. Before that can happen, we need to take down that commander down there."
The warriors nod in agreement to the plan. Moving through the darkness, they race to the field of battle. Fear envelops Medamatcha, sensing the encroaching warriors. He darts his eyes around in every direction, not knowing where the first strike will come from.
"Hahhhhh!" A Namekian warrior bursts forth with a tree in hand.
"G-Gotcha!" Medamatcha flings his arms into the air with desperation.
While he's able to clobber his attacker in time, he's ill prepared for the many more who surround him. Knowing his poor position, he evades by leaping into the air.
"Where are you going? Hehehe" The voice of Cui causes him to shudder.
The frog-man slowly turns his head to the fish-man shadowing him from behind. Before he can make a full rotation, his eyes are pummeled with a furious punch. The attack is followed by a graceful overhead kick that sends Medamatcha back into the fray of Namekians.
Before they can swarm him, he leaps away several times on all fours. Cui finally lands with the smuggest look of his life. The Namekians quickly form up by his side.
Just outside of the battlefield, Videl and Cargo land. They take cover behind some rocks and survey the sight.
"It's horrible!" Cargo sinks down, overwhelmed by the battle.
Videl remains undeterred. It doesn't take many screams of 'Lieutenant Cui!' before she pieces it all together. "As much as I want to beat that fish to a pulp for abandoning me, I have to admit his timing is perfect." Videl continues to scan. "That big giant tower over there, that must be where Slug is. Let's go." Just as she's about to set off, something catches her eye. "Is that, Is that the crazy old Namekian guy?"
Her eyes follow the determined elder as he darts into the slug-jin vessel. The glimmer of the dragon ball attached to his back lights up her eyes.
"Elder Tsuno!" Cargo lifts himself over the rock to see better.
Videl leaps up, grabbing Cargo's arm as she does. Without thinking, she darts toward the massive ship in pursuit.
Inside, Tsuno slices down every slug-jin he encounters. Not a single soul is offered mercy. The trail of bloodshed makes it easy for Videl to pursue. It's not long before Tsuno finds the main engine.
"I won't allow a single one of these wretched demons to escape!"
The mad Namekian makes his leap into the massive room. He lands atop the hemispherical dome that gives the ship lift. It glows orange hot between the gaps in its metal plating, the brightest light in the space. Just as he's about to assault the propulsion mechanism, the voice of Videl calls out after him.
"Stop right where you are!" She sets down Cargo as she states her demand, then leaps into the room.
"It's you, the devil girl. Why have you followed me?"
Videl fumes at the nickname. "I'm no devil!"
Tsuno watches her intently, noticing how her eyes follow the sway of the dragon ball on his hips. Despite not giving a verbal answer, Videl's body language tells Tsuno all he needs.
"You want this?" He lifts the dragon ball into his hands. Her eyes never break from tracking it. "After all your people have done, I cannot ever allow you to use such things."
"That's not for you to decide! The Guru guy promised me!"
"A promise under duress is no promise at all."
"Who the heck do you think I am!?"
"I've already established that, devil girl."
"Gyaahh!"
Having had enough of his insults, she lunges for the dragon ball, but a wall of gas spews from the engine between them. When it clears, Tusno is gone.
"Get back here! You can't take this from me!"
"It doesn't belong to you, you wicked child!"
Another burst of gas spews from behind her. The gust of wind hits her first, then the gaseous wolf head bears its teeth into her arm. When it dissipates, the broken blade of Tsuno reveals itself. The pain of the serrated weapon is nearly too intense for her.
Though, unlike his previous victims, Videl's ferocity overcomes any fear she may feel. seizing the opportunity, she grips Tusno's arm. She spins her body so that the appendage is twisted beyond breaking. In a grotesque mess, it tears apart and off from his body.
The elder is forced to retreat. The agony in his shoulder makes him cry out in pain. Though a wolf he may be, the child in front of him embodies a beast beyond the natural order. The two stare each other down with mutual hatred.
"Stop it, you two! This is crazy! Just forget about the dragon balls!" Cargo makes a desperate effort to end the confrontation, but they are already beyond reason.
"Enough child! You ask me to forget the dying faces of all those I'd been sworn to protect!?"
Cargo is shaken, unable to recognize either of the people below him. "E-Elder Tsuno! This isn't you!"
"Nay, it is not. The elder I once was died when the demons attacked. All I can do now is answer my brothers final prayers by erasing these fiends from our lands. That includes the one who stands before me."
Having mustered enough energy, Tsuno regrows his destroyed limb.
"Stop it." Videl's voice is low, but noticeably angered. "Stop calling me a monster!"
Videl stomps the metal plate she stands on, bursting searing gasses from it. The fumes surround her, shrouding her in a bright smoky orange cloud. The gasses force her pigtails upward, forming a pair of horrible horns. Her hate filled eyes shine through with soul crushing intensity. Reflected off Tsuno's eyes is the image of evil.
Tusno responds without mercy. Taking his broken sword from the ground, he bounds toward the twisted child. His weapon targets her neck. Knowing the difference in their power, he forces every ounce of his strength into the blade.
Videl is too quick. No longer restraining herself, she bites down onto the incoming blade. The stunt loses her some teeth, but as a result the weapon is shattered. Her torso had already wound into a punch by the time he'd arrived. The merciless strike to his gut launches the elder over the edge of the protruding engine.
Cargo watches helplessly from the sidelines. He's the only one who notices the dragon ball fall loose from Tsuno's belt as he falls from the battle.
Videl peers over the edge. The depths are too dark for her to see through, a gap in the wall punctured by a stray attack pod being the only source of illumination below. Impatiently, she charges an attack.
Just as she's about to send the blast of energy after him, a quake rocks the ship. The jolt lifts her into the air. The engine gives way to it's damage and bursts completely. The chamber is engulfed in an explosion so intense that it breaks the fighting outside momentarily.
The planet groans ever louder, stirred greatly by the massive burst. The ground beneath everyone's feet rises and falls several times before settling. Up in the tower beyond, Slug clammers back to his feet.
"What in the blazes!" His eyes fixate on the mass of flame spewing from his ship. "Those damn fools!"
His eyes finally take in the battle around his encampment. With a growl he lunges from the tower.
"Piccolo, keep an eye on that decaying old sack of meat!"
Inside the ship, Videl coughs herself back to consciousness. She's quick to roll back onto her feet. Her eyes dart around until they find the wounded elder crawling away. She swiftly sprints over to him, ready to strike.
To her surprise, Tusno beats her to it. His fist rolls right into her throat. It dazes Videl for a moment. In the next, Tusno latches onto her shoulders and headbutts the small child. Videl isn't stunned by this, instead she repeats the action by giving him a headbutt in return.
As he drops to the ground, Videl plants her foot on his back. "Just give it to me! Before I kill you!"
"You'll have to kill me then. No amount of suffering would allow me to surrender to a fiend like you."
"Shut up! Just shut up already!" Her inability to rationalize the situation nearly breaks her mind.
Videl grasps the elder's throat and pulls him close.
"Do it! Do what devils like you always do! Kill me!"
"D-Dang-Gh Fu-Damn you! You've killed so many, what room do you have to talk!" Her face reflects her inner state of confusion, fear, and anger. Tears begin forming in her eyes.
Tsuno laughs into the girl's face. "Devil or wolf, neither of us has the honor of innocence. You are correct in that regard. All the same, neither of us has the right to mercy."
"Why are you doing this!"
"Videl! Stop it!" Cargo takes them both by surprise.
Both sets of eyes land on the dragon ball nestled in his hands.
"Young Cargo, you must flee. Keep it safe from these demons."
Videl releases her grip on the elder and rises to stand. "Cargo…" Her hands tremble, wanting desperately to grip the ball he holds.
"These dragon balls have made you all crazy! Nail was right!" He takes several steps back. "I'm going to break it!"
"No!" Tsuno and Videl plead to the boy, but only Videl is able to run to him.
Cargo rushes for cover in a panic. He's able to scurry into the nearby abandoned attack ball belonging to a Cui Force soldier. The latch closes just as Videl reaches him.
"Cargo, hand it over! I thought we were friends!" Her breath fogs the window pane.
"No! I can't! I wouldn't be a friend if I let you destroy yourself like this!" Tears flow from his little Namekian head.
"Cargo!"
Videl pressed down on the tiny little ship. Dents begin to form on its surface. The creaking metal scares little Cargo, causing him to clutch the dragon ball harder.
Outside, Nail and Dende finally arrive. The ongoing struggle sees no clear victor.
"Over there Nail!" Dende points to the opening atop the ship where the engine had exploded.
"Why there?"
"It's Cargo and Elder Tsuno, They're in danger!"
"You can pick them out during all of this?"
Dende nods in confirmation. "Ever since Grand Elder released my power, I've gotten really sensitive to this kinda stuff."
"Alright, little brother, hold on tight." Nail takes course for the mighty ship.
The situation inside becomes more tense with each passing second. The flaming walls bathe the room in a furious red. Elder Tsuno slowly crawls over to Cargo and Videl.
"Please Cargo! My dad!"
"H-He wouldn't want to come back and see you like this!"
The glass begins to crack.
"What do you mean by that!?"
Bolts pop from the exterior.
"He wouldn't want to see that you've become a m-monster!"
The words snap something within her. Hearing them come from his mouth. The sight of her own bloody monstrous reflection in the glass. The culmination of every uttering comparing her to a demon surfaces in her fragile mind all at once. The little sanity she'd clung to breaks.
Tsuno freezes in horror. Before his eyes, the vessel collapses like an aluminum can. Blood spews into the sky from within it. Videl becomes as still as she does silent.
"Ahhhhhhhhh!" Tsuno lunges in a boundless fury. The only emotion that remains within him is hatred. To slay the demon in front of him is his only goal, nothing else matters.
Dende instantly falls sick. The reaction causes Nail to bound faster. Less than a minute later they enter the scene. The room is dyed red and purple, not just from the flames, but from the thick liquid that covers nearly every inch of it.
"C-Cargo!" Dende rushes over to the nearly flattened pod. He quickly pulls his brother out, the terrible fear forever frozen on his face. "No! Please no!"
Dende quickly attempts to heal his brother, though no amount of effort changes the result. Tears escape the usually stoic Nail. His attempt to look away from the sight only lends him more agony. Across the room is the disfigured remains of the once proud elder Tsuno. Nail can't hold back any longer. He screams so loud that it echoes across the battlefield outside.