The emerald glow intensified as the transformation completed.
Diamondhead raised his crystalline arms, diamond-hard limbs gleaming as he positioned them to intercept Kraab's descending pincer.
"A Petrosapien?" Kraab's mechanical eyes narrowed, frustration creeping into his synthesized voice. "So you finally transformed! At least you didn't become that disgusting ghost creature again!"
Fighting head-on suited Kraab perfectly. This was his specialty.
He was confident he could beat this kid into submission and force him to surrender the Omnitrix willingly!
Even if the brat had transformed into a Petrosapien!
"Incredible physical strength," Tetrax observed, genuine surprise flickering across his face. As a fellow Petrosapien, he understood better than anyone the remarkable durability and power inherent in their crystalline physiology.
The Omnitrix didn't just copy any random genetic sample. It selected the most outstanding specimen from each race, capturing the peak potential of that species' DNA.
Tetrax found himself genuinely curious about how much of this form's natural power Asher could actually harness.
"Let's see who's going to pound who into the ground!"
Diamondhead released a primal roar, his eyes blazing with fierce determination. His hunched posture slowly straightened as raw power flooded through his crystalline frame.
Kraab's massive pincer, pressing down with hydraulic force, was being pushed back inch by inch!
"Impossible!"
Kraab retracted his enormous claw, then snapped both pincers open wide. He thrust them forward in a coordinated attack, attempting to catch Diamondhead's head between the crushing mechanical jaws!
"Diamond Battleaxe!"
Diamondhead's right arm underwent a dramatic transformation, reshaping itself into a wickedly sharp axe blade that gleamed with emerald light!
The battleaxe swung toward Kraab's advancing pincer without hesitation!
"My pincer is forged from one of the rarest materials in the universe! Your pathetic crystals will shatter like common glass!" Kraab declared.
Both SixSix and Tetrax maintained their distance, content to observe. Each appeared to be calculating angles, waiting for the perfect opportunity to exploit any weakness.
SixSix dismissed Asher entirely as a legitimate threat!
CLANG!
The diamond battleaxe collided with the mechanical pincer, producing a shower of sparks and a deafening screech that echoed across the abandoned training grounds. The two weapons locked together mid-strike!
Neither combatant could gain the advantage!
"Such overwhelming power! How can I not overpower him?" Kraab's mechanical pupils flickered in confusion.
According to his combat analysis systems, there was no logical reason he should be unable to defeat this human child in direct combat!
"Did you really think I'd be easy prey?!"
Diamondhead's voice erupted with fury, as though all the frustration of being hunted was finally being released!
Belief formed the foundation of true power and unshakeable will!
The diamond battleaxe began pressing forward with renewed force, slowly advancing back toward Kraab with inexorable determination!
"What?!"
Kraab's mechanical optics widened in disbelief.
The combat data before his optical sensors showed an undeniable truth: Diamondhead's physical strength had somehow surpassed his own maximum output!
"I should mention something," Diamondhead said with a cold smile spreading across his crystalline features. "As a Petrosapien, I'm primarily built for defense and durability. Overwhelming offensive strength isn't actually my specialty, so I couldn't immediately crush you with brute force alone!"
The statement was delivered with casual arrogance that bordered on mockery.
It was absolutely infuriating!
Yet Kraab found himself unable to formulate any coherent response. He could only glare with impotent fury burning in his optical sensors!
Because everything Diamondhead said was correct.
"This kid's personality has undergone some subtle changes," Tetrax observed thoughtfully, his brow ridges lifting slightly. "It appears that each alien transformation influences his baseline temperament to some degree. However, he's managing to maintain his core identity and moral compass throughout these shifts."
That level of mental discipline was remarkably rare.
"Gah!"
With a thunderous battle cry, Diamondhead employed Kraab's own tactical approach against him. He suddenly retracted his diamond battleaxe in a feint, then began delivering a relentless barrage of devastating axe strikes directly at Kraab's armored chassis!
The goal was clear and brutal: prevent any possibility of counterattack!
BANG! BANG! BANG!
Each strike landed with the force of a battering ram, impacts resonating like thunder as the diamond weapon crashed against reinforced plating! The assault forced Kraab to raise his pincers defensively as he was driven backward step by step!
Diamondhead fought with the savage intensity of an apex predator!
"Get away from me!"
Kraab retreated several steps before suddenly deploying the laser weapon mounted within his pincer assembly. He squeezed the trigger, unleashing a concentrated beam of destructive energy directly at Diamondhead's crystalline chest!
FWOOSH!
BOOM!
The powerful laser blast struck dead center, followed immediately by a massive explosion that generated thick clouds of smoke and debris!
When the smoke cleared, Diamondhead emerged completely unscathed, his crystalline body unmarked. An aura of absolute dominance radiated from his form.
"If the axe can't penetrate your armor, then I'll simply change my approach!"
Diamondhead's right arm instantly reverted to its standard form before transforming again—this time into a wickedly sharp spike that gleamed with lethal intent!
But the transformation didn't stop there. His left arm underwent the same metamorphosis, and then the surface of his entire body began sprouting countless crystalline spikes of varying lengths!
Diamondhead had entered his full Spiked Battle Configuration!
"This devil has adapted his combat strategy at an incredible pace!" Kraab's processors analyzed the tactical situation with growing alarm. His combat prediction algorithms were generating increasingly unfavorable probability matrices.
Facing Diamondhead in his fully weaponized spike form, Kraab experienced something his programming had never anticipated: genuine intimidation!
"Impressive. Exceptionally impressive," Tetrax murmured, his gaze locked on Diamondhead with intense focus. He found himself questioning whether even he could match this human child's demonstrated combat proficiency.
"I'll grant you a quick defeat as thanks for the valuable combat experience!"
Diamondhead's eyes gleamed as he suddenly launched himself forward. His right foot planted firmly, and his entire crystalline body angled into an aggressive charging stance with his shoulder positioned as the primary impact point!
Kraab, caught completely off-guard by the explosive acceleration, had no time to brace!
CRASH!
Diamondhead's spiked shoulder slammed into Kraab's chest plating with devastating force. The impact created a massive dent in the reinforced armor as Kraab's entire mechanical body doubled over!
"Gaaaah!"
Kraab released a wailing screech of digital pain. As an advanced sentient machine, he possessed the ability to experience pain just like any organic being!
"Now to finish it!"
Diamondhead showed no mercy. Against a ruthless bounty hunter, hesitation would be fatal. He raised both spike-transformed arms high, channeling all his strength into the finishing strikes!
His left spike thrust forward with lethal precision, aimed directly at Kraab's vulnerable neck joint. His right spike drove toward Kraab's abdominal region, targeting the power core and critical systems within!
Deliberately chosen critical hit locations that would completely disable any mechanical enemy!
The execution was flawless!
I'm finished! Earth, I curse you! Kraab's optical sensors focused on those approaching crystalline death spikes, his targeting systems calculating zero probability of successful evasion.
"He's done for," Tetrax stated matter-of-factly.
A bounty hunter of Kraab's caliber was being systematically dismantled this efficiently!
This human had already demonstrated genuine first-tier combat capability by universal mercenary standards!
Tetrax realized he didn't even know this human's actual identity yet.
But the individual before him had definitively earned recognition.
This was a warrior.
A being worthy of respect based purely on demonstrated strength!
WHOOSH!
Just as Kraab faced certain defeat, SixSix suddenly descended from above like a striking bird of prey, diving down to intercept at the last possible microsecond!
SHING!
SixSix's combat blade flashed through the air in a powerful horizontal slash, striking against Diamondhead's extended spike arms with tremendous force!
The impact sent vibrations through SixSix's mechanical grip, causing his blade to tremble violently. His servos registered minor damage from the feedback!
Against any other organic creature, that strike would have severed limbs cleanly!
But Diamondhead's crystalline spike arms merely deflected slightly off their intended trajectory. One spike pierced through Kraab's shoulder joint instead of his neck, while the other punctured and detonated the armor plating protecting his right rear leg actuator instead of reaching his core!
BANG! BANG!
Two sequential explosions erupted from the impact points.
"Krzzzt... Chhhk..." Kraab stared at Diamondhead in absolute shock, his optical array trembling.
That sequence had brought him within nanometers of complete system termination!
Diamondhead slowly rotated his crystalline head to fix his gaze upon SixSix with predatory focus.
"Did you just volunteer to be terminated first?"
The threat was delivered with chilling directness.
SixSix felt an instinctive warning signal flash through his combat systems, his entire armored frame tensing!
BOOM!
Kraab's survival protocols overrode his combat directives. He immediately activated his emergency thrusters and launched a desperate counterattack, his remaining functional pincer swinging with hydraulic force to hammer against Diamondhead's spiked torso!
SCREECH! SCREECH! SCREECH!
Diamondhead's feet carved deep furrows into the ground as his body was forcibly pushed backward, his crystalline form grinding against the earth as he slid several meters!
But he absorbed the devastating blow without sustaining any structural damage!
"So you both think you can take me down together?" Diamondhead straightened his posture with deliberate casualness, raising one crystalline hand to brush away dust particles from his spiked shoulder with an almost dismissive gesture.
Then he delivered his response with absolute confidence:
"Then it doesn't matter to me in the slightest. If it's one against two, I can handle that!"
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