The Rustbucket rattled through the desert, finally rolling into a long-abandoned town.
Dust coated every crumbling building. The cracked dirt roads were uneven, the wind howled through hollow windows, and the silence was suffocating.
"So, Ethan," Ben asked, glancing around warily, "how are we gonna fight this time?"
"There are two and a half of them on the other side!"
Ethan raised an eyebrow. "Two and a half?"
Ben crossed his arms and said seriously, "You beat that crab monster so bad he's half-paralyzed, so that counts as half!"
Gwen groaned, rubbing her temples. "Ben, now's really not the time for jokes."
Ethan wrung out his towel calmly. "Ben, is your Omnitrix fully recovered?"
Ben checked the dial. "Yeah. Cooldown's over."
Ethan stepped out of the small bathroom section of the Rustbucket and spoke clearly, every word measured.
"Good. Here's the plan. We rest for a few minutes. Then you transform into XLR8, release an Omnitrix signal, and see if they can track us."
"And then?" Ben grinned, clearly expecting a tag-team fight. "We take them down together?"
Ethan shook his head. "Then… you run."
"Huh?" Ben's jaw dropped.
"I'll take on all three myself."
His tone was calm. His face unreadable. But the words hit like thunder.
"The three bounty hunters aren't weak," Grandpa Max warned, his brow furrowed. "Even if you use Four Arms or Atomix, there's no guarantee they won't have counters ready."
"Yeah!" Ben protested. "I'm part of this fight too!"
Ethan raised his wrist, the familiar green-and-black Omnitrix gleaming faintly. "Do you remember what I told you about the Ultimate Evolution function?"
"Ultimate Evolution…" Gwen murmured.
Ben's eyes widened. "You mean—Ultimate Four Arms!"
The three of them said it together, remembering the terrifying power of Ethan's last transformation.
"I'll use the Ultimate Form to finish all three of them." Ethan's voice dropped lower. "But when that happens, I might lose control. I might even hurt you guys by mistake. So when it starts… run."
Even Ethan didn't know what might happen when he unleashed a full Ultimate Evolution.
Ben swallowed hard, recalling the chaos when Ethan became War Wolf. "Okay," he said softly. "I'll listen."
Grandpa Max gave a weak smile. "Good. Because if he goes off again, the three of us together still wouldn't stand a chance."
Gwen placed her hand on Ethan's chest. "If you feel yourself slipping… remember us. You're not fighting alone."
Ethan's expression softened. "I know."
—
A few minutes later, Ethan and Ben stepped out of the Rustbucket. The vehicle pulled away, disappearing into the sand dunes.
Ben raised his Omnitrix, took a deep breath, and slammed down the dial. "XLR8!"
Blue light flashed. The armored velociraptor-like alien appeared, his body humming with speed.
He darted off through the ghost town, racing through every street corner, leaving trails of dust in his wake.
—
Far away, three figures stopped at the same time.
Diamondhead, SixSix, and Krab each pulled out a radar device.
"Omnitrix signal detected!" they said in unison.
Diamondhead clicked his tongue. "How careless can he be? Transforming now, when there are three of us? Is he asking to die?"
SixSix smirked under his mask.
Krab's claws snapped together with a metallic clack. "Then let's tear him apart!"
In the next instant, Krab's legs began to spin like propellers as he lifted off the ground. Diamondhead stepped onto his hoverboard, and SixSix fired up his jetpack.
The three bounty hunters rocketed toward the town like missiles.
—
Inside the town.
XLR8 skidded to a stop at the entrance, panting. "Okay, I swear I'm not tired from running—it's just way too hot!"
He wiped his forehead dramatically.
Suddenly, the sunlight dimmed. A shadow fell over him.
A chill ran down his spine.
"Ooh… refreshing," he muttered. "The murderous intent is cooling me off!"
He looked up.
A tall armored figure floated above on a hoverboard—Daimondhead.
"Whoa!" XLR8 gasped, eyes sparkling. "That board is so cool!"
Krab roared and charged from behind. SixSix dove after him.
XLR8 yelped and spun around, bolting down another street at lightning speed.
The three bounty hunters gave chase—but all they saw were afterimages.
Then, suddenly—
BOOM!!
A brilliant orange light erupted around a corner, flooding the town with heat and pressure so intense it warped the air.
SixSix froze mid-air.
Diamondhead braked his hoverboard.
Krab stopped spinning, his metal claws trembling.
They knew that light.
The sound of heavy footsteps followed.
Out from the dust strode a towering figure—four massive arms, crimson skin etched with scars, muscles bulging like coiled steel. A long white beard framed his grim face.
The Ultimate Four Arms.
"Four Arms, you're up!" XLR8 yelled, speeding off as planned.
The bounty hunters stared.
"What kind of name is that—'God of War'?!" Diamondhead shouted.
The crimson titan raised his fists—and pressed the Omnitrix symbol on his chest.
"Ultimate Evolution… activate."
The device emitted a roar of energy.
Crash!!
The orange light exploded again, flooding every street.
His muscles swelled. His height doubled. His crimson skin hardened into armor plates. The ground cracked beneath his feet as spikes jutted from his soles for traction.
The very air trembled under his power.
The true Ultimate God of War had arrived.
Diamondhead swallowed. "What… what is that?"
SixSix's scanner blinked red. "Power levels… off the charts."
Krab's eyes widened, dread flooding his circuits. "I fought that energy before… and barely survived!"
Diamondhead's jaw tightened. "I don't get it. But I feel it."
He clenched his fists.
"This Earthling's evolution… is terrifying."