Dragon Ball: Kaizen – Chapter 4 "Vegeta’s Breaking Point"

Kaizen stood still.

Or rather… something else was standing in his place.

His mark burned, veins of black energy crawling up his arm like living chains. His left eye remained consumed by darkness, a glowing crimson symbol at its center. The air around him was dense—wrong—as if space itself rejected his presence.

Vegeta gritted his teeth, fists clenched. "What the hell is happening to you?!"

Kaizen didn't respond. His breath was shallow, his body trembling as if he were fighting something within.

Then, without warning—

BOOM!

The ground beneath Kaizen shattered, craters forming from the sheer force of his aura. The black tendrils around his body coiled, pulsating as if alive.

Vegeta's instincts flared. This isn't the same fight anymore…

But he didn't care.

"Tch… I don't give a damn what's happening to you!" Vegeta roared. "I came here to fight, not babysit!"

With a flash of Super Saiyan Blue, Vegeta vanished, appearing beside Kaizen in an instant. His fist, wrapped in divine energy, collided with Kaizen's face—

Or at least, it should have.

Instead, it stopped—mid-air.

Vegeta's eyes widened. His entire arm was frozen, suspended by Kaizen's mark.

"What the—?!"

Kaizen's head slowly turned toward him. His mouth opened, but the voice that spoke wasn't his own.

"…You should have left."

Vegeta barely had time to react before—

CRACK!

A surge of energy exploded from Kaizen's body, blasting Vegeta backwards with bone-crushing force. The Saiyan Prince slammed into the ground, carving a deep trench as he tumbled.

Kaizen exhaled slowly. His body twitched—then snapped upright, unnaturally rigid.

The mark had fully awakened.

And for the first time, Vegeta felt it.

Not just power. Not just instinct. But something deeper. Something that didn't belong in this universe.

"This energy…" Vegeta thought, wiping blood from his lip. "It's not Ki. It's not even Hakai… What the hell IS this?!"

Kaizen's marked eye pulsed. Black lightning crackled across his skin.

Then, in a blink—

He was gone.

And before Vegeta could even react—

Kaizen's knee slammed into his stomach.

The air ripped apart.

Vegeta's entire body folded, blood flying from his mouth. His vision blurred. His mind barely processed the pain before—

BOOM!

Kaizen kicked him into the sky with enough force to shatter a mountain.

Vegeta felt his bones scream in protest. His body rocketed upward, colliding with the atmosphere—until Kaizen was already there.

Waiting.

"You're slowing down, Vegeta."

His voice was wrong. It carried no emotion. No effort. Just fact.

Kaizen raised his hand—and an unseen force gripped Vegeta's throat.

For the first time in years—Vegeta felt helpless.

His muscles strained, his power surging. He tried to break free—but his body wouldn't respond.

Kaizen's mark pulsed again. A new energy wrapped around Vegeta's limbs, forcing them still.

Kaizen's head tilted. His lips curled into something… not quite a smirk.

"Is this the power of a Saiyan Prince?"

Vegeta's rage erupted.

"SHUT UP!"

With a burst of divine energy, Vegeta broke free, teleporting behind Kaizen in an instant.

His fist crashed into Kaizen's ribs—this time, connecting with full force.

Kaizen was sent flying, smashing into the earth below with a thunderous explosion.

Vegeta hovered in the sky, panting heavily.

"Damn it… I landed that hit, but…"

He knew.

Kaizen wasn't done.

And sure enough—

From the rubble, a low chuckle echoed.

Vegeta's blood ran cold.

Kaizen slowly rose from the impact crater. His mark was fully awake now. The black veins had spread across his chest. His eyes—both of them—were now glowing with unnatural energy.

For the first time in the battle—

Kaizen smiled.

"Now we're getting somewhere."

To Be Continued…