CRACK! CRACK!
Vilgax's reinforced claws tore through the iron plating as if it were parchment, shredding the makeshift weapons Ben had manifested and casting them into the sea.
"I'm not finished with you!" The Tech-Wraith roared. Ben pulsed his liquid-metal form, desperately trying to integrate the cable car's remaining machinery, but Vilgax was too fast, too precise. Every turret Ben formed was crushed before it could fire.
The car was being stripped bare, reduced to a skeletal frame. Vilgax stood atop the ruin, his golden armor shimmering in the sun.
"If I drop you from this height, I won't even need to fight you," Vilgax rasped, his voice a guttural promise of death. "You can rot at the bottom of the ocean."
"Vilgax, your brain must have been scrambled by Tyler," Ben's voice echoed from the metal frame. "You care more about a grudge than the watch? You think the Omnitrix is waterproof at ten thousand leagues?"
"You're asking to find out!"
Vilgax lifted his massive, gold-plated boot and stomped. The force was catastrophic. The hollowed-out cable car buckled and snapped, falling away from the wire. Ben and the wreckage plummeted toward the churning blue abyss.
A squadron of military drones swooped in instantly, providing a platform for Vilgax. He landed on a robot's chassis, gliding through the air like a conqueror.
SNAP!
A set of blood-red tentacles lashed out from the sea spray, catching the falling wreckage and the boy mid-air.
"Everyone is secure," a chilling, hollow voice echoed through the bayou.
Tyler Levison, in the form of The Void-Wraith, hovered above the waves. His upside-down, skinless face was a mask of cold ferocity. His tentacles were braided like steel cables, supporting Gwen, Max, and Ben with effortless strength. He swept them back to the shoreline, depositing them safely on the sand.
The moment their feet touched the ground, Tyler turned back toward the sky. His eyes burned with a murderous light. "Stay back. Vilgax is mine."
Tyler's form blurred, solidifying and expanding as he shot toward the golden figure in the sky.
"Come then!" Vilgax roared, bracing himself.
Tyler's tentacles merged into a singular, gore-slicked hammer of psychic energy, aimed directly at the warlord's head.
WHOOSH.
A sudden cascade of golden sparks fell from the clouds. Within the light, a second figure appeared—a radiant, golden silhouette that moved with a supreme, divine grace.
The figure threw a punch. It wasn't a mere strike; it was a golden comet that collided with Tyler's psychic hammer.
CRACK—!!
Tyler's expression distorted as the impact sent a shockwave through his core. His psychic hammer was dispersed by sheer, overwhelming force. The residual energy slammed into his chest, sending him spiraling backward to crash heavily into the shoreline.
He hadn't even had time to trigger his ethereal phase. The strike was too fast, too calculated.
"You've arrived," the figure in the air whispered, looking at a descending drone.
Standing on that drone was a massive warrior, his body plated in shimmering, divine gold. His muscles were like forged ingots, radiating an aura of absolute power.
"You did well, Kevin," Golden Vilgax said coolly. "Now, capture Ben Tennyson and take the watch. I will settle the account with the Error myself."
"Consider it done," Kevin said, a jagged smirk crossing his lips. "It's the least I can do for the DNA you gave me. I'll peel that watch off his wrist myself."
BOOM!
Kevin accelerated, crashing into the sand in front of Ben and the others.
"Tyler!" Ben called out, his eyes fixed on the new threat. "Why are there two of them? Who the hell are you?!"
"I'm Kevin Levin," the boy spat, his face twisted with a bitter, long-simmered rage. "And thanks to Vilgax, I finally see the truth. Your family is a plague. You ruin every plan, every hustle, every chance I have to survive!"
"We tried to save you!" Ben shouted, his jaw set. "You chose to be a predator!"
"Easy for you to say! You've got the hero grandpa and the perfect life. If you grew up like me—hungry, cold, and alone—you'd realize being 'good' is a luxury only the rich can afford!"
Kevin didn't wait. He lunged, a massive fist aimed at Ben's head.
WHOOSH!
Green light flared. Four Arms emerged, his four massive limbs locking onto Kevin's strike.
"No more games, Kevin," Ben said. The playfulness was gone. "If you want the watch, you're going to have to go through a hero."
The two began a brutal, bone-crunching exchange of blows. Max and Gwen moved quickly to the perimeter, clearing the zone.
THOOM!
Vilgax leaped from his drone, landing heavily in front of Tyler. He scanned the empty air, snorting in derision. "Stop the hiding, Levison. I can hear the rhythm of your lungs. It's pathetic."
The air was silent.
Vilgax growled, his golden eyes narrowing as he glared at a specific point in the atmosphere. "You're right there!"
Tyler's form shimmered into view, his expression heavy. "Golden Vilgax...?"
"Surprised?" Vilgax's face darkened. "If my crew hadn't pulled me from that crater, you would have ended me. But your 'Correction' was a gift. It ignited my warrior's spirit. It forced me to evolve."
He took a combat stance, his muscles humming with kinetic energy. "I have unearthed my true potential. Today, I am the one who corrects the universe!"
"You're strong," Tyler admitted, his palm hovering over the dial. "But you aren't ready for a World-Breaker."
CRACK!
A pillar of bloody light pierced the sky. The World-Breaker (Way Big) materialized, standing like a titan over the beach. He lifted his massive foot, intending to crush Vilgax instantly.
RUMBLE!
The foot slammed down, creating a colossal crater. But Tyler frowned. The sensation was wrong. There was no impact, only soft sand.
WHOOSH!
A golden flash appeared directly in front of Tyler's massive face. Vilgax was in mid-air, a violent punch aimed directly at Tyler's forehead.
"Hoo!"
Tyler exhaled a forceful breath. The resulting gale sent Vilgax spiraling back ten meters, but the warlord landed on his feet, his figure blurring back into a golden streak.
In the legends, Way Big could crush Vilgax through sheer size. But this Vilgax was serious. He was disciplined. He wasn't underestimating Tyler; he was leveraging his smaller size and superior combat experience to dance around the giant's reach.
The battle had reached a stalemate. The World-Breaker couldn't hit what he couldn't catch, and the Warlord was searching for the one opening that could topple a god.
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