A large water orb erupted from the ocean, throwing Shi-Jian's body onto the beach as Erice frantically used her power in an instant. 

Ben immediately leaped away from Ophelia as she landed, having recently caught Ben before he could fall. 

"SHI-JIAN!!" Ben roared, sliding to his knees in front of the white coated boy who wasn't breathing, and whose blood was quickly staining the sand red. "GODDAMN IT! ANYTHING! ANYONE!!"

Ben dialed the Omnitrix. "Some.. Somebody.. any alien.. th.. that can.. that can.. I.. I.. "

"OPHELIA!!" Erice cried out frantically. 

"I KNOW I KNOW!!" Ophelia cried out, her vampiric red eyes active as she slid over next to Ben and pressed her hands into Shi-jian's chest, red magic pouring its vitality into the blood. 

"What are our chances!?" growed Hanzo as he ran over. 

"NOT GOOD!" Ophelia growled. "He's bled out a ton, and he fell into the salt water before I could catch him!! ERICE! How good are you at controlling blood!?"

"It's.. it's doable!" Erice stammered. "I.. I haven't done it since.. FUCK IT! I'll try!!"

Erice held out her hands, and the red liquid began seeping back into Shi-Jian's body, but as she tried, her eyes went wider and she shrieked, grabbing her head as the blood began seeping out again.

"Wh-what-!?" Ben began. 

"NO MOM NO MOMMY I'M-!!" Erice shook herself. "S-sorry.. I.. I haven't done this.. since.. since mom was.."

"Erice.. I know this is hard, but Shi-Jian is DYING.. he's NOT a vampire nor is he connected to the Omnitrix like Ben, I can't repair him on Vampire Magic alone.. if I even TRY higher regeneration magic I risk turning him into an Eldritch Horror by morphing is very genetic structure!!" Ophelia exclaimed. "PLEASE.. for his sake!"

"URRAAH I GET IT!!" Erice gritted her teeth fiercely, sweating hard as she willed the blood back into Shi-Jian again, looking frantic as she did so. 

Ben could only stare, his lips trembling. 

He had done this.

Shi-Jian had put himself between him and Black Ronin.

Ben was responsible for what happened here.

Ben fiercely looked at where the Irreverent Seven were before, but they had already disappeared from the beach, apparently making their getaway as soon as they had succeeding in picking off one of their number. 

"COWAAAAARRRDS!!" Ben screamed as he frantically stumbled through the sand, only to go straight into Dragfeld's arms. 

"My Lord.. calm yourself.."

"L.. let me go Dragfeld. "

"My Lord you must-."

"DRAGFELD LET GO OF ME!!"

"This will not help him! You must calm yourself!" Dragfeld looked fiercely into Ben's eyes. "Please, for my sake as much as his. We are the Radiant Seven, we look after our own. Do not leave him here."

"I.. I don't deserve to be-." Ben stammered, his entire body shaking uncontrollably. 

"Ben." Ophelia's voice came in strong and filled with compassion. "Listen closely. There will be a time to sort out what has happened, but if we want to see Shi-Jian alive and well again, I need you to be focused. "

Ben turned to Ophelia. "WH-what do you need?"

"I need you to transform into Swampfire and use little vines to stitch Shi-Jian's wound together. , Erice can control his blood and make sure it continues to flow, but she's got some sort of trauma associated with controlling it.. if she keeps doing this.."

Ben looked at Erice and felt horrified as he saw that her eyes were wide and her entire body shaking, her skin turning pale. 

"Erice.."

"I-I'm fine.. j-just.. l-leave it to me.." Erice whispered, trembling. "J-just keep her out."

"H-her? Wh-whose h-?"

"Trust me.. " Erice whispered. "You don't want HER taking over me.."

Ben smacked his cheeks, shaking himself before activating the Omnitrix and immediately transforming in a flash of green light. 

Swampfire knelt next to Shi-Jian and immediately tiny string-like vines poked into the skin, and began needling their way through, pressing the skin back together like sewing a ripped pair of jeans.  He had to be careful, otherwise he might accidentally merge the cells with Shi-Jian's giving him a permanent Methanosian  green scar, and while that might be okay for the plant-like Highbreed alien he once reattached an arm to. With a mammalian human.. new flammable methane producing organs might be fatal in their own way. 

The wound and veins were meticulously sealed as blood continued to fill Swampfire's vision, giving him the strong urge to vomit up whatever was in the alien's muck encrusted guts. 

He even had to sew up Shi-Jian's intestines, as it had cut partially through those areas, the blade of the wretched ronin. 

As Swampfire worked hard, Ophelia muttered magical phrases under her breath, sweating to the point that her entire body shone in the sun. 

Above them, almost forgotten, Dragfeld's brother Highfeld watched quietly, looking solemn as he folded his arms.  He looked at Hanzo, who was standing nearby, watching, looking furious and frustrated that he couldn't do anything. 

"He is your comrade? " asked Highfeld. 

"Yes.. " said Hanzo. 

"And Tennyson is your commander, and you are his troops." said Highfeld. "I heard you call him Boss earlier.."

"Yeah, I guess so, in a way." said Hanzo. 

"Hmm, I see, I hope your comrade does not fall, I.. I know a thing or too about losing dear comrades.." Highfeld murmured.

"Not like we needed him anyways.." Hanzo muttered. "Stupid idiot. Such a pervert too.. always going off every time he saw a boob or.. fucking.. fucking idiot.."

Tears were streaming down Hanzo's face as his fists shook. 

Highfeld, noticing this, went silent and nodded. "Hmmm.. I see.."

For a moment, Ben could only feel echoing inside his head.

It was as if Swampfire were just a shell, and he was looking out from inside.  He didn't know how long he spent stitching up wounds. He didn't know how long Ophelia spent, thrusting vampiric magic straight into Shi-Jian's chest.. wind flapping through her hair on that beach. 

Kangaroos hopped by on the sands, a few stopping to stare curiously at the scene before them. 

Shi-Jian would probably want a selfie if he saw them..

Just thinking about that made Ben feel bitter. 

He had concentrated so much time on fighting Akira, on stopping him, contemplating finally beating him at his own game. 

"I hate him. I admit it. I hate him. I was so thrilled with beating him at his own game, with that thought." Swampfire whispered. "At crushing him and watching his smile disappear. It made me happy, even though I wouldn't say it, to fight Highfeld in front of him and watch him realize how outclassed he was."

"I'd take pleasure in it too." A tired looking Erice, finally able to rest, put her hand on Ben's shoulder. "I won't pretend not to feel hate towards him. "

"I was wrong. I did what I always did wrong from the moment I had the Omnitrix." Ben murmured. "The entire reason why Vilgax managed to take it from me that time he and Albedo worked together.  The entire reason why Tetrax needed to set me straight when Gwen was taken on Xenon..  I treated Heroing like a thrill ride. This is a job that needs to be done, not a video game to be enjoyed."

"Ben, you can't treat everything you do like just a bitter job.." Erice whispered. "Trust me, if we did do that, we would eventually go insane. There is nothing wrong with enjoying the fact that you help people. Maybe there's a wrong way to enjoy things, that's generally true, but if you don't find a little joy in what you do, then eventually you will grow to hate it, and then you will become disillusioned with it."

"How do you know?!" Swampfire snapped. "You treated the whole deal of saving people like a meaningless joke when I first met you!!"

Erice sighed, as if she expected Ben to snap anyways. "Yes I did, but you changed my mind. You made me feel the joy of watching Ophelia come back to us. This person who is a sister to me. "

Swampfire stared at Erice for a moment and bowed his head. "I'm sorry I yelled.. I.. "

"We're all pumped on adrenaline right now, it's fine." said Erice.

"ITS GOOD!" Ophelia exclaimed, crying out in relief. "He's going to be alright.. I've stabilized him.. "

Everyone sighed with relief.. everyone except the girl who had landed her Mech nearby and was running frantically across the sand. 

"IS HE OKAY!? IS HE-!?" Parvarti was stopped by Hanzo, who put a hand on her shoulder.

"He's fine, at least for now." said Hanzo.

"We'll need to get him to a hospital, but he's out of any immediate danger." said Ophelia. "We just need to carry him- Ben?"

Everyone stood up, looking around.. but Ben had disappeared. 

"M-my Lord is-?" Dragfeld stammered. 

"Oh, he transformed into that fast Lizard looking one and ran off across the sea as soon as he heard his comrade would live." said Highfeld. "I believe he was headed off in that direction across the coast."

"That's the direction of Japan.. " said Ophelia. "E-Erice..! The Sea.."

Erice closed her eyes and concentrated, feeling the currents of the ocean all throughout the globe. Every fish, every sea creature.. boats.. and one fast running alien racing across the ocean. .. "Dear god, he's heading to Sato City.."

"Where Akira's headquarters are?" said Ophelia asked. 

"That's the general direction yeah.. " said Erice. "You don't think-."

"He's pumped, pissed, and coming off an adrenaline high." said Hanzo. "Boss is a kind person, patient even. But this situation, and after he watched the death in the loops we dealt with before, I have no doubt he's not himself right now.  Especially since Shi-Jian was saving him."

"We have to stop him!" said Erice. "The public has a low opinion of him now, but if he starts a fight with Akira in his own house-."

"Why should we stop him!?" Parvarti's eyes were filled with tears as she cradled Shi-Jian's head on her lap. "They're bastards.. all of them! Screw public opinion! This isn't even our world!"

"Negative publicity will only turn the people against us.. their armies, even the victims we try to save will all push us away. There are a host of consequences, especially since we're considered illegal vigilantes to begin with. " said Ophelia. "Remember one of the loops Ben described? They nuked him, they literally nuked him just over Ultimate Humungousaur...  And Akira is smart, he'll use this to appear as a martyr and increase support towards him and Sephiroth." 

"We might already be too late." said Dragfeld. "Even I cannot surpass the speed of XLR8. He could already be confronting Akira at this very moment. 

"I also can't help. I used much of my energy keeping Shi-Jian's soul anchored to his body." said Ophelia. "I can't use Sephiroth's Teleport technique like before in this state."

"Hmmm? Why try to outrun him, when we can simply reach our destination in a single step?" asked Highfeld with a smile. 

"Brother.." Dragfeld glared at Highfeld. "Why are you-?"

"He is your liegelord my sister, which makes him an asset to our father, even if he is the Tennyson I suspect he is.. the one prophesied to kill him.." said Highfeld. "And personally I never cared much for father anyways, he was always a prick to me. Plus, I do intend for him to join as my comrade, and such circumstances would only impact it negatively."

"Wait, what are you suggesting-?" Ophelia asked. 

"It's simple, we're going to use Spatial Treading, something somewhat used often by those of my family who have managed to slay Angels." said Highfeld. 

"You killed angels?" Asked Hanzo. 

"One, of course its how I got my name." said Highfeld. "Dragfeld here defeated a Dragon Avatar of the great Bahamut, gaining the dragon's power and earning her own name. In fact, given that I sense the power of the Raven Dragon's own avatar within the vampire there, I'm inclined to call her Dragonfeller as well.. hmmm.. Ophelia Dragonfeller, what a delightful combination, tell me Ophelia, would you like to join my-?"

"No." said Ophelia. "But I will consider it.. if you help us."

"You needn't have offered a favor, like I said," said Highfeld. "I have great interest in seeing Tennyson survive."

Highfeld thrust a hand into the air and snapped his fingers. 

The snap rang out like a strange gong-like bell.. causing the surroundings to reverberate.. as the environment's structure bent like space itself..

https://youtu.be/E-B4WRi1BK8

Ben silently walked over to the beautiful gates..

A massive mansion sprawled before him..  the iron wrought gates lay open..  

Ever since he grew popular, donations from fans all over and even some government supporters had cemented Akira and the Irreverent Seven quite the digs..  

A huge 50 room house, a beautiful elegant mansion of massive size stood before Ben behind what appeared to be an elegant fountain of some sort. 

 Just past the hedges and before the front door of the house, stood Loba and Popper the Puppet Man.. his multiple limbs rattling. 

"Oh would you look at that, there he is, sooner than expected, but no less expected! Popper is excited!" squealed the puppet, his jaw clacking over and over. 

"Huh, if he wants to come in and see the boss, then he's got another thing coming." growled Loba.  "YO! So you're the Knight of that half baked Vampire disgrace right!? Wanna see the man himself!? You're gonna have to get through us..."

Ben's eyes flashed at the mention of Ophelia. "Half baked huh? Does that make you fucking raw?" 

"Say that again Tennyson.. come on.. give me a reason.. I've been angry all day and itchin' to make ya squeal." 

Ben chuckled. " Oh, you think YOU'RE angry.. okay.."

There was a flash of green light as Echo Echo appeared, then another shockwave as Ultimate Echo Echo rose up.. sonic discs floating around him as he stepped forward.

"That's it..  THAT'S it.. yeah.. show me all of it, so you'll kick and scream when I beat the living-." Loba didn't finish her sentence as suddenly a massive sonic blast erupted into her and sent her smashing into the mansion.. blowing half of it to wooden shreds, dust clouds billowing out of the rubble. 

"POPPER IS POPPING READY!!" Popper squealed as he flew into the air on rocket boosters and threw out a host of spherical grenades. 

Ultimate Echo Echo didn't even look at Popper as he held up a hand, and some Sonic Discs flew upwards, using sonic shields to push back the grenades, surrounding Popper in a flash by duplicating themselves, so that he was forced to halt in the air, levitating next to his own beeping bombs. 

"Oh dear- BOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMM!" Popper was covered in the fireball that was his own explosion as the mansion shook, and Loba's massive werewolf form erupted from the house, now around 30 feet tall as she raised her massive clawed hand to strike the evolved alien... blood streaming from her head. 

"YOU FUCKING PRIIIIIICK!!" Loba screamed as she lashed her claw down.

"BOOOM!!" Loba's fist bounced off a sonic shield, as multiple sonic discs appeared before her in a huge line. 

"Dead.. End.. Orchestra." Ultimate Echo Echo closed his hand into a fist. 

"BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMM!!" The entire mansion was blown to smithereens as Loba was sent flying miles before she crashed straight into the street multiple blocks away.. 

That was the last time she got up that night..

The mansion's rubble erupted as Rondo's blood blasted outwards, and the man stepped out.  "WHAT BUSINESS.. SINNER.. Do you have with the MASTER of this house!? What kind of action would drive you to take such a fool's errand!?"

"Simply put, I'm just here to kill your boss.. and after that, I'm going to kill all of you.." said Ultimate Echo Echo coldly. 

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!" Rondo laughed fanatically. "As if YOU! Who has not tasted the blood of a blade, nor looked upon those of true need of salvation, would ever even have the guts, to slay his fellow ma-.."

Rondo suddenly froze, Ultimate Echo Echo's robotic eyes were staring straight at his, and he could feel the coldest, most merciless emotions now pouring out of him..  

At that moment, the priest knew-

Ben was out for blood.. and what was even more frightening.. he was ENTIRELY capable of carrying out his task with minimal effort.

"H-hot damn.." Rondo muttered, sweat pouring down his face. "What has happened to you?"

"You all happened.. allow me to rectify that mistake.." Ultimate Echo Echo growled as more sonic discs began to form around him. 

"You're a danger to the master.. A danger.. if Akira faces you now, he most certainly won't be ready.. very well.. I WILL STOP THIS SINNER HERE AND NOW!!" Rondo roared. "BEHOLD MY ULTIMATE TRUMP CARD!!!!!"

Rondo slammed a hand into the ground, and behind him.. blood erupted, boiling further and further upwards. 

It twisted like tendrils and branches of a great red tree until it formed a massive skeleton with multiple heads.. its red surface gleaming as it also grew multiple skeletal arms, the massive creature over 80 feet tall.. even with only its torso jutting out of the earth behind Rondo. 

"BEHOLD!! The great Guard of Hell!! Its breath from the multiple heads that sit upon its shoulders exhales a great flurry of horrible blood magic that instantly drains the moisture from all things that come into contact with it.. and the eyes upon those very heads can let forth an all consuming magic that rip apart entire nations with a single bla-."

"What heads?" Ultimate Echo Echo said. 

Rondo froze and looked up behind him, his face contorting into horror as he realized that the skeleton was now headless, as a few Sonic Discs rotated around it.

"Long winded monologues, gotta love em." said Ultimate Echo Echo as sonic discs now surrounded the shivering Rondo. "But don't worry, you can meet you dumb monster again in hell." 

"POWWWWW!" a gunshot rang across the din.. as Ultimate Echo Echo suddenly fell to his knees.. his discs falling to the ground.. his head smoking with a bullet wound that had bypassed his own armor by using temporal energy.

"Stay away from my friends." Fu-Jin growled, standing behind the dead alien, her eyes cold and unforgiving. "Hmph.. "

"My goodness Fu-Jin.. you actually did it!" Said Rondo with amazement in his voice. 

"Of course I did. If you think I'd let Shi-Jian think his worthless gamble meant anything on the game I stand upon, then I'd have to hang up my gun. A worthless fake like him had no business wearing that coat, especially since he only had use as a meat shield in the end." said Fu-Jin viciously, her eyes filled with rage.

"A worthless fake?" 

At that moment, Ultimate Echo Echo stood up, stunning  Fu-Jin. 

"N-no.. that.. that form doesn't regenerate.. I.." Fu-Jin fired her gun again, two times, four times.. 10 times..

Bullet holes continued to appear but for some reason, they let out a puffing sound as they came into contact with the alien... as if it were made of clouds.. 

"You're the fake.. asshole.." said the Fog illusion as it morphed into an exact replica of Fu-Jin and then punched her in the face with the force of a human made of steel. 

Fu-Jin ducked the punch and used her Time Belt to zoom back, looking shocked. "P-Poly-Fog!? But how did he even predict-?"

"You expect me to hang out with Shi-Jian and not know all your tricks?"

PolyFog floated down behind Fu-Jin on top of a puffy cloud, his arms folded. "Please, at least he wouldn't make such an elementary mistake."

"AS IF YOU KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT HIM!!" roared Fu-Jin as she turned around and shot PolyFog, only to discover another fog illusion that evaporated away. 

"Oh I know everything.." a new voice now echoed across the decimated garden.. as Fu-Jin staggered around, pointing her gun every which way. "That you were his training officer, that you took a bribe, and betrayed everything you two stood for..  He was twice the man you were.. and the best part is, you couldn't even succeed in killing him.."

"If this is your attempt at psychological manipulation, you need work, hmph, as expected of a boy who only knows how to act like a boyscout!" Fu-Jin roared. 

"DON'T antagonize him Fu-Jin!" Rondo stammered. 

"Huh!?"

"Trust me when I say, this is NOT the same Ben Tennyson we saw on that beach!" Rondo roared. "Th-there is something wrong here! He's.. MURDEROUS!!"

"I suppose that's one way to describe it.." Said a large ogre-like alien with a huge metallic helmet made of interlocking metal bindings, from right behind Fu-Jin. 

Fu-Jin whirled around to look at Toepick.. right as steam hissed from his helmet, and the locks quickly disengaged to reveal the face so indescribable, that it froze her from her heart to her very soul..

"EEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHH!" Fu-Jin screamed, her entire body turning pale white as her eyes flitted wide open. 

She tried in vain to look away, but the thing she saw seemed to force her gaze forward, like a horrid magnet of some sort, forcing her eyes wide open. 

She couldn't make sense of what she was seeing. It was as if too much information was being shoved into her eyes all at once and blowing her very mind to pieces because of her inability to comprehend something so out of the norm of mortal. It was like a 2D construct trying to comprehend a 3D image. 

"G.. ghhhh.. aaaaahhh.." 

The girl fell over, her eyes frozen open.. drool trailing from her mouth as she lost consciousness out of pure terror..

Toepick's helmet hissed shut as Rondo backed away with fright. 

"Goddamn.." Rondo growled. "Are you really still Ben Tennyson?"

Toepick gave no response as he turned to look at Rondo. 

"Yesssss... yesssss... they all deserve it Ben.. they all deserve to die.. to suffer.. to become chaos.." A purple eye whispered to him from the darkness.. as he felt more and more of himself slip away..

Ben returned to human form in a flash of light, but even as this happened, Rondo still looked upon him with fear..

Ben's eyes were filled with cold indifference as he began to step closer. 

"Wait... WAIT!" Rondo roared. 

Ben stopped in his tracks as a hand grabbed his wrist. 

"That's enough.." said Akira as he stood next to Ben, gritting his teeth. "You went too far Ben Tennyson. You and I were both aware this was a war, that we might take casualties from each other on either side. But the way you are doing it here.. this is dishonorable."

"You're talking to me about dishonor?" Ben muttered. "You coward?"

Akira almost felt frightened at the way Ben said those words. It was without empathy, or an ounce of understanding. It was as if he were listening to a god that was about to punish unrepentant sinners.

"Tennyson, you listen now. Something isn't right.. something's taken a hold of-."

"POW!!" Ben punched Akira in the face, and blood flew into the air as Akira tumbled to the ground. 

Akira moaned as he touched his face, sitting up awkwardly.

This was strange. Ben was a healthy boy, but that punch was more powerful than that of an average human..

"Good, yes, unleash me.. unleash me and they will ALL die.. you have my word, I will kill them.."

"Yeah, kill them all." Ben whispered. "ALL OF THEM.."

Akira's eyes widened as Ben's face smirked, and his eyes turned from green to purple. 

"Ahhhh.. finally." Ben's body said as the new entity inhabiting it  flexed his fingers. "Having legs, not used to that, let me just.."

"Ben" danced around on his feet a little, flexing his fingers some more, as if trying to get used to a new 'fit' of clothing. 

"Yes, that's better."

Akira stood up slowly, eyeing Ben carefully, as he gradually drew his hand towards the Seraph Omnitrix. "You're not Ben.."

"No.. no I'm not." said 'Ben' with a twisted smile, leaning his head back. "You know, I made plenty of mistakes in trying to find myself a proper avatar vessel, but I guess it is more suitable to just bear with it and gain a human form, wouldn't you say? I mean that's what my brother did in a sense.. 

"Brother? Zs'Skayr? H-how would-?" Akira's eyes widened. "How did you end up in Tennyson's-?"

"The sin of seeking knowledge my fellow." said Zs'Skayr, spreading Ben's arms out and shrugging with a grin. "Azmuth couldn't resist having Ectonurite DNA couldn't he?"

"As if you were ever a normal member of your race." muttered Akira. "he warned me about you... that he sensed something dark in Tennyson.."

"Ahhh, my twin Yoggy mentioned me.. how quaint." Zs'Skayr muttered, sighing and shrugging. "Oohh.. I suppose we never did get along much. He was always about curiosity and knowledge, me, however, I was all about creation and destruction. We never could agree on what was the best way to enjoy existence. All I know is that given the chance, even if it's Tennyson doing it, I'd love for him to bite it at some point. Though I know for a fact that's already a given.."

Zs'Skayr grinned at Akira, Ben's mouth spreading into a psychotic smile. "Because Sephiroth's already almost done taking over completely isn't he?"

Akira remained silent.

"Ahh, no surprise, well I was watching when Sephiroth pulled him into his inner domain for that fight. He must've done the same with you and chosen you."

"I guess I can't hide that. It's true. I do not agree with Yog Sothoth one bit, however.. Sephiroth is a different story." said Akira. "It's true, now there's only 20 percent of Yog Sothoth's personality left, soon, it will only be Sephiroth, with the power of an Eldritch deity, the power necessary to bring true change.. and soon, Master Van Kleiss, with Sephiroth's help, will have the complete powers of Cthulhu under his control."

"Hmph.. so we all get what we want hmm? Nyarlatothep got to have complete control over his- or should I say her.. body when that Lia fool decided to leave it to her, your master gets to freely explore his wishes beyond just his and my brother's shared curiosity over Tennyson, and.. thanks to you all inciting his rage, you have given me complete control over Ben Tennyson."  said Zs'Skayr. "Everybody wins right?"

"I do wonder that." said Akira quietly, narrowing his eyes. "That depends on what you intend to do now. I am for a world that will be free of the supernatural, and will become a world of peace through that sacrifice.. will you interfere?"

"Well not personally, but I do enjoy tormenting humans, so I guess we do have to disagree on certain things." said Zs'Skayr with a sinister grin. 

"I see.." Akira made to move a hand to the Seraph Omnitrix.

"Too.. slow.." Akira looked up and stared with horror as Ben's fist suddenly appeared inches from his jaw..

"BOOOOOMMMM!" Akira was sent flying back as Ben's fist hit a sword blade instead, creating a shockwave. 

"My Lord, are you hurt!?" growled Etheria. 

".. Ugh.. a knight from Darkmaw's universe? Troublesome.." Zs'Skayr muttered, wringing his hand. "I haven't even managed to recover my full power yet, especially since punching enchanted metal of that grade actually still hurt. Hmmm.. still I'm more hardy than I was in my Ectonurite vessel.. so I guess this will do.. especially since I have the perfect training wheels to keep me aloft.. right on my wrist."

Zs'Skayr grinned sinisterly as the Omnitrix's light changed from green to purple. 

Akira stood up gingerly as Etheria held up her blade. 

"I felt that punch just now.." Etheria muttered, trembling slightly. "When he punched my sword.. as a HUMAN.. what!?"

Akira narrowed his eyes quietly. Power wise, Etheria was probably the second most powerful being on the planet next to Dragfeld as long as Ben didn't transform into Atomix.  As a Holy Vanguard Knight of the Seraph order from Dragfeld's worlds,  she was on another class of being altogether, even surpassing the frightening potential of Ophelia Anderson, who could be considered another class of dangerous altogether even compared with the rest of the Seven.  If she was disturbed by this.. then Ben Tennyson's body under the control of Zs'Skayr might indeed have become a similar Demi Outer God much like Van Kleiss,  Sephiroth or Nia Tothep and her attendant Cthugha.

Yet if that itself were true, a single punch would've even decapitated the stronger Dragfeld Dragonfeller.  

"I see, so he hasn't managed to fully mature, because Ben Tennyson has not agreed to merge with him into one fused being." said Akira. "As far as powers go, all he has are increased physical abilities."

"In that case, I can defeat-.." Etheria began. 

Akira shook his head, as Zs'Skayr began to twitch a hand to his wrist. "No.. because at the end of the day.. he doesn't exactly have to remain human.."

There was a flash of purple and green light, and Humungousaur emerged in a blast of wind, grinning like a horrid pyscho, his eyes a glowing purple, as well as his Omnitrix badge. 

Humungousaur laughed and dashed like a wild maniac, his arms swinging all over the place, displaying frighteningly superior speed to the original Ben controlled version. 

 "GREAT HOLY ANGELS!! HEAR MY CRY!! DISPERSE!!" Etheria's blade glowed with brilliant power capable of razing mountains and destroying entire moons as she swung her glowing attack.. 

There was a blur of speed however as Humungousaur disappeared so fast, it was as if he teleported. 

"ETHERIA GET OUT OF THERE!!" roared Akira, right as Humungousaur appeared behind the knight warrior. 

"Tch.. shit!" Etheria had just enough time to say as powerful fist rammed into her. 

Her armor was shredded as she was sent exploding into the earth with a shockwave that caused a brief earthquake. 

"Ahhh.. so she was wearing seraph mail.." Freakmungousaur said, laughing as he shook his hand like he was a normal guy who accidentally smacked his hand on something hard. . "HAHAHA! Oh it stings a little.. I heard the armor was capable of taking attacks equal to that of a regulated supernova. Ahhhh.. but indeed extra power from a Vaxisaurian always helps you know."

Akira began to breathe hard. 

This was it, it was game over..

If Ben Tennyson's body when possessed by Zs'Skayr was capable of rattling Etheria, the it must be proportionately stronger in the same way a normal Humungousaur was stronger than Tennyson. 

In other words, without even going ultimate, this thing was capable of blowing the entire planet away with one finger. 

"What? Afraid? Good? One can't have fun tormenting humans if they don't feel tormented in some way." said Freakmungousaur

"BEN!!! STOP RIGHT THERE.. now!"

Freakmungousaur stopped in place. 

He turned around to see Ophelia Anderson stepping into the garden.. glaring sternly. 

"You're better than this, Ben. Don't tell me you're going to let that half rate god tell you what to do." Ophelia snapped. 

There was a silence.. 

Behind Ophelia.. stood a bewildered looking Erice, Hanzo, and Dragfeld... while Highfeld levitated somewhere in the sky, silently observing without interfering. 

"Ophelia get back!" Dragfeld exclaimed. "That's not my lord in there any-."

"Dragfeld sweetie.. please.. it's fine.." Ophelia said. "You too Erice, stay back.."

"Heheheheh.. oh.. the Vampire Queen who took control of the Raven Dragon." said Zs'Skayr. "Honestly, I'm a little stunned you didn't kill Tennyson after all this time. You always knew I was in th-."

"Can you shut up?" Ophelia growled. "I'm talking to Ben, not you, wait your turn.."

Freakmungousaur gritted his teeth. "Ehhh?"

"Ben.. I know you didn't want this. He took advantage of what you felt for Shi-Jian. Of what you feel about all of us, your comrades." said Ophelia. "And its true.. I always knew.. I always knew he was lurking in there.  But you defeated him before, and you can defeat him again. Even his hold on Ghostfreak was never permanent was it? Honestly.. you can't tell me you're tapping out now.."

"I thought you were smarter than this Vampire Queen.." Freakmungousaur growled. "Ben isn't in here any-."

"Would you wait your DAMN turn you overgrown piece of cosmic shit?!" Ophelia snapped. 

"Ophelia.." Erice whispered, almost breathless from the bravery of the person she saw as a sister more than anything else, even if she was a rival in love.

Freakmungousaur gritted his teeth in rage, raising a fist. "You.. I'll kill y-."

Ophelia just smiled serenely, and immediately her red eyes changed from red to green.. and her fangs slipped into normal human teeth. 

"No.. you won't.."

"Are you stupid, going back to your base human form without your vampiric blessings active..? Even so, your base Vampiric nature is there so you can take a normal Vaxisaurian's hit without dying.. but this is me.." said Freakmungousaur. "There won't even be a stain left."

"And Ben knows that." said Ophelia with a smile. "And he wouldn't hurt me.."

At those words.. the alien lowered his fist, as the green eyes gave way to purple ones, welling up with tears..

"NO!! Ignore her.. sleep you fool.. SLEEEP!!"

The voice rang in his head.. a voice that once came from a phantasmic alien with an upside-down skull for a head.. a mere avatar of his true presence..

But Ben could never hit her.. 

He liked it. 

He liked the way her eye color was always some sort of duality. They were both her. The soft green eyes of a compassionate wise girl, and the intimidating red eyes of a vampire who stood up for those who were weak. 

He could never find it in himself to hit somebody.. somebody he-.

"Ben-darling, I really really love you.." Ophelia said, smiling brightly. "Okay?"

"Ophelia I.."

Humungousaur suddenly felt his eyes turn purple again, and a desperate and crazed maniac from within him expended all his effort to just wrench an inch of control..

And Freakmungousaur hurled a back hand straight into Ophelia Anderson..

The world seemed to go silent, as only a ringing filled Ben's mind as he watched his own gargantuan vaxisaurian hand, against his will, slam Ophelia aside, throwing her like a ragdoll straight across the garden, where she crashed into the stone fountain with a booming plume of smoke..

She had supressed her vampiric powers that time.. 

in other words..

Ben could only stare in horror.. as he returned to human form.. and Zs'Skayr laughed in his head... 

"AHHHAHAHAHHA!! Hail the conquering hero!!"