Boom!
Four-Arms Kevin, who had just broken free, narrowed his ghostly eyes as his entire body was suddenly engulfed in a sea of flames. Waves of heat surged outward, sweeping violently in every direction.
Heatblast clenched his fist and shouted with excitement, "Awesome! A perfect home run! I'm totally winning the school baseball championship this year!"
Not far away, Snare-Oh stood atop a cypress tree, the light flickering in his green eyes as he watched the inferno below. Having suffered such a massive blow, could Ghostfreak really withstand it?
Grandpa Max sheltered under the eaves of a nearby shop, watching the distant Heatblast with satisfaction. "Ben's flame powers are getting stronger and stronger. I just hope he learns to use the watch's power wisely—and doesn't stray off the right path."
Gwen, however, wasn't looking at Heatblast. Her gaze was fixed on Snare-Oh standing silently among the branches.
The rain was gradually fading.
Under the soft moonlight, the mummy stood tall and steady on the branch, his silhouette outlined against the pale glow. The sight left Gwen lost in thought, her expression wistful.
She couldn't help but feel a pang of regret. Why did Lucian have to be her cousin? His looks, his demeanor—everything about him was exactly her type...
Grandpa Max seemed to sense her thoughts. He gently patted Gwen's hair and let out a quiet sigh, saying nothing more.
Flames roared skyward, the heat surging in waves.
From within the blazing inferno, a massive green figure emerged. Sharp crystal spikes tore through the fire as it stepped across the scorched ground, moving forward slowly and deliberately.
Four violet eyes glared fiercely, filled with hatred and venom, as if it wanted nothing more than to tear Heatblast and Snare-Oh apart.
"Transformed into Diamondhead... but why does he have four eyes?"
Snare-Oh's gaze tightened. Could Kevin's body be mutating?
Heatblast, however, sneered dismissively. Pointing at the Diamondhead before him, he shouted, "Ghostfreak, get out of Kevin now — or when I lose my temper you'll both be finished."
"Then come and try~"
A flash of purple light flickered in Diamondhead's eyes as his arm morphed into a sharp crystalline spike.
From his perch, Snare-Oh extended his bandage-wrapped hand toward Diamondhead below, ready to strike at any moment.
Suddenly, the ground trembled faintly. A low rumble echoed in the distance, growing louder—as though something massive was approaching.
Snare-Oh paused, then turned his head toward the source of the sound.
Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!
On the horizon, dozens of green heavy tanks rolled forward, crushing the brittle ground beneath their tracks. The thunder of their engines echoed through the night like awakened ancient beasts charging into battle.
"It's the army! They've sent in the military!" Grandpa Max recognized them immediately.
Heatblast burst out laughing. "You're finished, Ghostfreak! Let's see how you escape our trap now!"
With tank support, plus himself and Snare-Oh, there was no way Ghostfreak could get away this time.
"Heh heh... And what makes you think they won't attack you too?" Diamondhead's eerie purple eyes gleamed with malice, completely unshaken.
"This..." Heatblast faltered, realizing the ghost might actually have a point.
Before long, the heavy tanks rolled into position nearby.
Dozens of thick cannons locked instantly onto Heatblast and Diamondhead, unaware of Snare-Oh hidden among the branches.
Grandpa Max rushed toward the tanks, waving his arms and shouting to stop them, but the soldiers ignored him. Determined to eliminate the "monsters," they opened fire without hesitation.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Countless shells blasted from the tank formation, trailing long flames as they screamed through the air toward Diamondhead and Heatblast.
"Oh man, today's just not my day..."
With a leap, Heatblast sprang into the air, riding his fiery cloud as he sped away, escaping the range of the incoming shells.
"Interesting. Let's see what you can really do," Diamondhead sneered coldly.
He raised his palm and summoned a crystal wall before him. The powerful shells slammed into it, exploding on impact, but only managed to leave shallow cracks—unable to break through its solid defense.
Thud!
Diamondhead slammed his fist into the ground, and in the next instant, massive crystal spikes burst upward beneath the tank formation. The sharp spikes tore through the steel armor, impaling every tank in their path.
A deafening roar filled the air as dozens of heavy tanks exploded simultaneously, their wreckage raining down in a shower of mangled metal across the scorched ground.
With a single move, Ghostfreak had wiped out the entire armored force. His four violet eyes gleamed with contempt and disdain.
To him, Earthlings were nothing more than lowly creatures—weak in strength, easily possessed, and unworthy of comparison to the noble Ectonurites. On his world, evil was synonymous with nobility.
Watching the destruction of the tank unit, Snare-Oh's eyes remained calm and still, betraying no emotion.
He knew he'd only escaped being targeted because the tanks hadn't noticed him. Unlike Heatblast, he couldn't fly. Though his undead nature made him effectively immortal—even if blown to pieces, he would eventually regenerate—the process was anything but pleasant.
Snare-Oh leapt down, landing before Diamondhead.
"Ghostfreak," he said evenly, "you must've noticed it by now. This body is changing. If you don't want to die here, get out of it—now."
Diamondhead grinned. "Then let's see what you can do to me."
Snare-Oh let out a cold snort and extended a swarm of bandages that wrapped around nearby cars. With both hands, he swung the vehicles inward, crushing them toward Diamondhead.
Bang!
Diamondhead's crystalline fists pierced straight through both cars. With a powerful heave, he hurled them back toward Snare-Oh, slamming him under the wreckage.
"Cuz!" Gwen cried out anxiously, ready to rush in, but Grandpa Max held her firmly.
"Stay calm, Gwen. He's going to be fine," Grandpa said with a reassuring smile.
Sure enough, in the next moment, countless white bandages wriggled out from beneath the wreckage, rapidly gathering and reforming into a humanoid shape. Within seconds, Snare-Oh stood whole once more.
With a sharp shout, he launched another flurry of bandages, binding Diamondhead tightly in place.
Spikes sprouted from Diamondhead's body, shredding through the bindings, but his movements were too slow. Snare-Oh's endless barrage of bandages kept him pinned.
Then Heatblast appeared overhead.
"Hahaha! Ghostfreak, you're done for now!"
He formed a massive fireball above his head, blazing like a miniature sun, and hurled it down onto Diamondhead.
Boom!
A thunderous explosion erupted. Flames burst across Diamondhead's body as deep cracks spread through his crystalline frame, nearly breaking him apart.
"Damn it!"
Ghostfreak snarled hoarsely, controlling Kevin's body as it morphed rapidly into Four Arms.
Just as he prepared to charge, a sudden, burning pain spread through his arm. Four Arms looked down to see golden flame marks scattered across his crimson skin, glowing faintly.
At the same time, a strange itching sensation crawled along his back—as if something were trying to force its way out.
Sensing the change, Snare-Oh's eyes flashed coldly. He sent out another wave of white bandages, trying to restrain Four Arms once more.
He had to drive Ghostfreak out of Kevin's body, fast—before it was too late.
As Snare-Oh struck, Heatblast rained down fireballs from above, engulfing the rampaging Four Arms in blazing heat.
"Damn it! You're lucky this time... but I'll be back!"
Ghostfreak gritted his teeth through the pain and transformed into XLR8, flames burning wildly atop his head—a grotesque fusion of XLR8 and Heatblast.
With a swift kick, he vanished in a streak of blue fire, escaping their combined assault and speeding off into the distance.
In the blink of an eye, he was gone without a trace...
"Get back here, coward!" Heatblast shouted, leaping onto his cloud to give chase.
"Don't chase him, Ben," Snare-Oh said calmly. "Let's go check on Grandpa and the others first. We'll deal with Ghostfreak later."
Even if they could catch XLR8, their transformation time was almost up. Charging after him now would only lead them into a trap.
As for Kevin... he'd have to survive on his own.
When the two reached Grandpa and Gwen, Heatblast had already reverted to human form. Snare-Oh tapped his Omnitrix and returned to his original state as well.
Grandpa Max quickly checked them over for injuries. Finding none, he finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Around them, the battlefield lay in ruins—scorched earth and jagged crystal spires marking the devastation. Grandpa Max looked toward the direction XLR8 had fled, his eyes filled with quiet resignation.
Taking a deep breath, he turned and led Lucian and the others slowly back to the Rustbucket...
...
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