Vilgax was blinded for a second by the intense light, he closed his eyes and stepped back. Chromastone spun around with a high kick aimed for Vilgax's head. The alien's sixth sense alerted him to the incoming attack and shielded his face with his muscular forearm. The villain narrowed his eyes at his opponent's new form.
"I'll have to pay you back for Albedo and I couldn't have chosen a better alien," Ben taunted.
Vilgax chuckled, "your arrogance will be your downfall."
"Yeah yeah, big squid go bye-bye now," the teen retorted with a smirk.
Vilgax growled at his nemesis' mocking and swiped his claws at the alien's head. Ben easily dodged and countered with a powerful right hook to the jaw. The hero noticed that Vilgax wasn't using his gauntlet to attack him like he did with his allies.
"Not using your magic glove?"
Ben threw several more punches at the dodging villain.
"Don't tell me it's out of juice already," he taunted.
Vilgax's lips twisted into a snarl but he ignored the child and concentrated on his defense.
"Or are you trying to avoid using it because I'd just absorb it anyway?"
Vilgax was tired of these childish games, a human would not get away with mocking him.
"Don't underestimate me, boy!" Vilgax snapped.
Bingo. Ben flipped through the air to dodge the first beam and landed on his feet to block the following multiple energy attacks. He absorbed the last beam and concentrated his energy into returning fire with his own multicolored attack. Vilgax grinned as he raised his glove to capture the energy, but his body was engulfed in intense pain instead. The gauntlet didn't suck up the beam, the energy traveled right over the weapon onto his skin like water. Vilgax was beyond confused on why the gauntlet didn't respond to his command. Was Tennyson right? Vilgax clenched his fists as the burns soldered his flesh to the gauntlet.
"Chromastone's attacks can't be absorbed. An energy unique to his species alone, nothing outside of his DNA can touch it. In a way, I'm relieved that you didn't figure that out with Albedo or I'd be in a tough spot right now." Ben explained.
Vilgax chuckled at his mistake and glanced up at the alien.
"It seems that I've underestimated your powers."
"Ha, something you've never learn-"
"HOWEVER, your intelligence is as low as ever. My ignorance of your abilities could have cost me everything. That is if you had decided to erase me with that last attack, knowing with certainty that I wouldn't dodge. Now-"
"AS IF I'D END YOUR PATHETIC EXISTENCE SO EASILY!" Ben spat.
Everyone, including Vilgax, was shocked at Ben's response. The words sounded like it came from the deepest corners of his soul.
"You think you deserve to disappear just like that? That you get a quick and painless death? No no no… I'm going to make you pay for every life you've ruined in your self-righteous path. Every planet you destroyed, every home you wrecked, every family you tore apart."
"Hmm that maybe so. But you won't get such an opportunity again," Vilgax replied sternly.
Ben charged at his nemesis with his hatred fueling his body. He wanted nothing more than to crush the alien once and for all. No more. Ben closed in on Vilgax's waiting form. Their fist collided as each threw a punch at the other, a shockwave emitting from the impact. The villain was starting to understand the extent of his new powers, controlling the output with ease as he blocked his opponent's attacks. Ben slid back a couple feet from the solid punch Vilgax delivered to his crystal body. He clapped his hands together, an aura forming around the joint hands, before planting them onto the ground. Vilgax felt himself sink as Chromastone liquified the ground underneath him into his rainbow energy. The rock quickly solidified around Vilgax as Ben reverted it back to its normal state. The hero was about to blitz Vilgax when a plume of fire and rock exploded between them. Vilgax smiled at his handiwork, it seems that now he was able to control the state of matter with the celestial's power. Ben blew right through the fountain of molten rock and continued his charge at Vilgax. Any residue lava on Chromastone's body was changed into multicolored energy and absorbed. Ben was about to make contact with the trapped villain, when he suddenly flew into the sky, flipping and twirling through space as he attempted to steady himself. Vilgax laughed as he shifted and stood to his full height, moving through the bedrock with ease. Ben controlled his movement as he released from the unseen force, and levitated back to the ground.
The two enemies stared at each other in silence, trying to figure out their next moves. Ben stepped back with his dominant foot and exploded forward with a roundhouse kick aimed for Vilgax's head. The villain used the gauntlet to block Chromastone's foot as he took a step back himself. Ben was on the offensive with impressive kicks and skillful punches, Chromastone gracefully spinning into his next attacks like a pro. Axe kicks, roundhouses, even triple kicks were thrown at Vilgax with extreme speed, power, and precision. But the villain barely had to move because most of the attacks hit his large oversized glove. He started to notice the attacks were gradually gaining power, like Ben was getting stronger instead of tiring out. Vilgax's plan was to simply dodge until the boy tired himself out and then he could strike. But Ben wasn't slowing down, in fact he was speeding up; Vilgax was able to see it now. The villain stumbled back ten feet from the sheer impact of him blocking a punch. Where did this immense strength come from? Was he holding back before? Vilgax was surprised by the power that the boy was packing. He glanced at the approaching foe and noticed a bright aura surrounding the hero. He peered down at the dented gauntlet in confusion. And what was his gripe with this? Vilgax knew that a well-placed kick to his face or chest could easily daze him enough for Ben to produce another devastating attack with his energy beams. So why the glove? He asked himself as he attempted to figure out Ben's hidden agenda. Could it be… He looked back at Ben, who was leering at him with intense anger.
"Don't underestimate me, Tennyson!" he snarled as rage flowed through him.
Vilgax glowed with a golden aura as he rapidly grew in size, similar to Humongousaur's ability. He reached for Ben, his hand being as big as Chromastone now, and wrapped his gloved claws around the crystal alien's entire body within a second. I guess your path of vengeance ends here. Vilgax began to crush the individual in his hand slowly.
"BEN!" Gwen cried out as she moved to help her cousin.
She was suddenly stopped by a hand on her shoulder and she glanced back to see an unconcerned Charmcaster. The redhead brushed her off with a huff and turned to face the witch.
"Wait," she told Gwen calmly.
"Vilgax is going to kill him!"
"You're an idiot if you think Ben is gonna die that easily."
"And why should I listen to you?" Gwen snapped back.
"Just watch and you'll see for yourself."
Gwen turned back to the fight that everyone had been silently watching. Nobody had dared to interfere till now. The others were too stunned to even react, this was the most intense fight that they've ever witnessed. Every second had them on the edge of their seats, neither opponent had a total dominance over the other. It was like they were made for each other, the ultimate good versus evil matchup.
"You don't get it, do you?" Ben muttered.
Vilgax raised his eyebrow at the teen's response and waited for an explanation.
"Forget it, you won't be alive long enough to understand," Ben sighed.
Vilgax growled and tightened his grip to break the alien in two. The bright aura around Ben unexpectedly burned brighter than ever, completely blinding the villain as the light completely engulfed his hand. Chromastone pushed his arms out and broke free of Vilgax's iron grip. He fell gracefully to the ground and waved his hand behind him. A massive wall of rainbow energy rose from the ground between his family and the fight before turning into a dome that enclosed the opponents.
"BEN!" Gwen called as she ran to the edge of the dome.
She banged on the wall before punching it with infused mana. She stepped back and stood in shock at the completely undamaged wall. Charmcaster watched the struggling redhead and realized what was happening. Gwen's mana was being absorbed before she even made contact with the structure. The silver-haired witch whistled in amazement, nice job Ben.
"It seems that Ben wants to finish the final battle away from prying eyes. I think we should respect that wish," Paradox called out to Gwen.
Vilgax laughed as his powers healed his burned corneas before he returned to his previous size.
"You were absorbing the energy from my gauntlet this entire time. Those fancy karate gimmicks weren't for show then."
The villain surveyed their new domed environment, the ceiling and walls had moving colors and looked to be tangible. He wouldn't waste any time trying to escape, the quickest way to leave was standing right in front of him.
"I'm guessing this dome will slowly sap away my energy until you eventually overpower me."
Ben stared at his nemesis in silence.
"Right, then there would be no reason to hold back. Even if I did beat you, there would be no way I'd defeat the two out there waiting for me," Vilgax started as his aura slowly glowed brighter. "I wanted to destroy the existing universe then rule over the ruins as its king. No more wars, disease, or famine; I'd erase all suffering from this reality. But to put it simply, I wanted to change the universe then I realized the most ironic thing. Killing you, Ben Tennyson, is enough to drastically change everything!"
Vilgax materialized a rock wall at the last second to block the incoming projectiles from the hero. The explosion sent debris flying in every direction and Ben came bursting through the rubble with his fist cocked back. He was suddenly pinned to the ground by an unknown force. Vilgax had his hand raised as he increased the gravity that trapped his foe. He was chuckling as he watched the hero struggle to get up under the intense pressure.
"It took me a while but I've realized that you've already changed! You're trying to kill me!" Vilgax boomed.
Ben groaned as the familiar intensity crushed him against the ground. When he tried to push himself up using his arms, his hands went through the marble floor and effectively kept him in the same position.
"We're the same, Tennyson. We both want peace of some sort. The only difference is that you consistently have a way to dish it out attached to your wrist. Now that I've acquired a similar power to do so, you fight so fervently against me. If I had the watch then my family would have never died, my planet would have never been destroyed, and my life would have never been ruined. Don't you see? I'm the Ben Tennyson who never got the Omnitrix!" Vilgax ranted to the hero.
He noticed that Ben didn't say anything when he told him that they were the same. He usually responded with "I'm not the same as you" or something similar. The alien smirked with confidence knowing that Ben DID change. Ben shot off a projectile at Vilgax that distracted him enough for the hero to recover from his pinned position.
"Let this be our final battle," Vilgax remarked.
Ben charged at Vilgax, this time Vilgax charged at him too. They entangled hands in a power struggle, each growling as pressure increased. The ground beneath them cracked into several pieces as their auras glowed brightly. The duo pulled their hands away and the battle of Gods truly began. A tomb of rock encased Chromastone, only for it to explode a millisecond after. Vilgax materialized a spear in his hand, a shockwave resulting from the speed at which it left his grasp. The spear barreled down on the hero, who managed to catch it inches away from his face with one hand. The weapon disappeared into dust as Vilgax willed it away. The villain ran forward onto a large cracked rock and it levitated upwards and towards the hero, Vilgax jumped off and sent the massive boulder crashing down on the teen. Ben infused energy into his hand as he smashed the rock into tiny pieces before flying up to meet the falling Vilgax. They collided in the air and crashed into the ground together. Ben was on top of Vilgax, pummeling the villain with relentless blows before he was blown off the alien by a golden ray. He landed on his side and stuck his hand out to absorb the following attacks that he sensed. He managed to capture some, but the sheer amount overwhelmed him quickly. He groaned as the projectiles hit him harder than before, sending him rolling several more feet. Vilgax spit the blood from his mouth and wiped the dust from his face as he attempted to stand. He limped towards the fallen alien, recreating his sword in hand. Vilgax looked down on the seemingly unconscious Chromastone before stabbing the blade through his chest.
Ben's body turned into a multicolored puddle of goo and Vilgax tried to pull his sword out but it was stuck. He was about to use more force when he was suckerpunched from behind. The villain caught a glimpse of his attacker and he saw Chromastone standing there. He turned to face him but was too slow in getting into his defensive position as Ben spartan-kicked him square in the chest. Blood flew out of Vilgax's mouth as he landed flat on his back. Ben began charging up a beam from his hand when a sword severed the teen's arm instantly before landing ten feet away. It was the same sword that was stuck in Ben's trap, Vilgax used his powers to free it. A scream of agony echoed throughout the dome as Ben clutched his crystal stub. Vilgax used the opportunity to strike the distracted Ben with a powerful hook to the jaw. The impact brought Ben back to his senses, but wasn't strong enough to send him flying. The teen ate the punch and pulled Vilgax in close by his shoulder before kneeing him in the stomach, then grabbing his head to knee him in the face. Blood splattered as Vilgax's nose broke and his head was knocked back, Ben let him go and he stumbled back as he coughed up blood. Chromastone dodged the villain's wild punches with ease as he came in close again. Vilgax's eyes widened and he let out a roar as Ben's hand pierced through the alien's chest. The giant grabbed Chromastone's arm with both hands to stop him from moving any further. Vilgax was grasping at straws as he totally forgot that Ben drew power from his glove. He growled as Ben pushed against the alien's full strength deeper into his chest. His hand was like a blade that cut through his muscle and bone as it neared the heart. Vilgax was expending every last bit of the gauntlet's power to stop Ben, his golden aura growing in size as he used more celestial strength. He didn't know if he managed to push him back or if he did it of his own free will but Ben stumbled back. The teen grabbed onto the glove and pulled with every last bit of power he had, his own aura exploding in size as he yanked on the glove. There was a flash of light and Vilgax fell onto his back with a thud, he looked at his burned hand that previously held the gauntlet with no emotions. He peered over at the one-armed Chromastone, the glove in his crystal hand.
Ben stared back at the fallen Vilgax. He felt nothing. No thoughts were running through his mind. No emotions in his heart either. He beat his ultimate enemy and saved the universe again, and he didn't even feel a drop of relief. Because he knew that people like him will always exist. It didn't matter if he killed Vilgax cause another would just take his place. He would be stuck in an infinite cycle unless…
"Unless you end it all right now," Vilgax called out as if reading the teen's mind. "Here we are again with an opportunity to change the world to how you want it. You think this is a coincidence? You've had ultimate power at your fingertips twice now. The universe is trying to tell you something! Take the reins and create your own reality where people like me don't exist. Then you'll finally be done, no more heroes, no more fighting."
Ben fingered the glove in his sole hand as Vilgax's words replayed in his head. Last time Kevin and Gwen were there to stop him. Now he was alone, but that didn't matter. They didn't understand him or the Omnitrix. None of them did. He could truly vanquish evil, all he needed to do is change back to human and use the gauntlet energy to change back into Alien X. Nobody would ever know that he changed anything and he can get away with having a normal life.
"Do it."
A green flash engulfed the alien and Vilgax smirked at the teenage Ben in front of him.
"Save the universe from me," Vilgax tempted.
Ben flipped the glove over and held the opening with his one hand, his fingers slowly slipping inside. The massive glove had more than enough room for Ben's human arm as he gave into temptation and pushed his arm inside. Vilgax was too focused on the brown haired boy to notice the pink flash approaching from behind Ben.
"I'm sorry," a female voice whispered into Ben's ear.
A thin line of blood ran down the surface of the hero's chin, he felt something foreign in his body but no pain accompanied it. He glanced down to see a hand, with pink mana surrounding it, protruding out of his chest.