Ben 10: The Quincy War

by Shinobi360

When 18-year-old Ben Tennyson stumbles into the Wandenreich, he becomes the target of Yhwach's formidable Quincy forces, the Sternritters. In a fierce clash, Ben overpowers some of the deadliest Sternritters, only to be captured and held captive. As he awakens in the heart of a thousand-year war between realms, he faces an impossible choice: (Full Summary inside Chapter 0 and 1)

2. Intruder In The Quincy Realm!

When 18-year-old Ben Tennyson stumbles into the Wandenreich, he becomes the target of Yhwach's formidable Quincy forces, the Sternritters. In a fierce clash, Ben overpowers some of the deadliest Sternritters, only to be captured and held captive. As he awakens in the heart of a thousand-year war between realms, he faces an impossible choice: Which side should he align with, and what consequences will his decision hold for three interconnected worlds?

---

"In a realm unknown, I find my way,

Lost and adrift, where Quincy's sway.

Battles erupt, no mercy they show,

Unfamiliar faces, to them, I'm a foe."

"Defending myself, my Omnitrix aglow,

I fight for survival, and so the winds blow.

Bambietta's wrath, a storm in her name,

But my courage won't waver, I stand unashamed."

"As Sternritters gather, their powers untamed,

"I press on with valor, in this perilous game.

Though outnumbered and weary, I refuse to yield,

For in my heart, the spirit of a hero is sealed."

"Captured, I am, in a world so cold,

The Quincy's grasp tightens, a story unfolds.

Intruder in the Quincy realm, my journey begins,

Adventure and trials, in this world of sins."

"- Benjamin Kirby Tennyson -"

---

Ben 10: Omniverse (Post Omniverse)

X

Bleach: The Thousand Year Blood War (Pre to during the Blood War Arc)

Created by Man of Action and Tite Kubo

Owned by Cartoon Network and Shonen Jump

A Shinobi360 Story

Ben 10: The Quincy War

...B10 X BLEACH...

Silbern.

German for "Silver"

Japanese for "Silver Wrought Castle"

The Quincy place of residence connected to a place which for simplicity's sake, can be referred to as their realm. It's air heavy with an otherworldly aura. Towering spires of obsidian and ivory pierced the sky, casting ominous shadows across the land. The buildings were an intricate blend of modernity and antiquity, adorned with enigmatic symbols that pulsed with energy. It is surrounded by a massive, similarly ice-encrusted city comprised of seemingly abandoned buildings, it's wideness and largeness all encompassing.

Silbern itself is a wide, two-tiered building, with the bottom tier supported by six thick columns, while the upper tier is roughly half as wide and long, instead being held up by pillars; it also features windows consisting of two thin slats in the wall on either side. The ground below it has a set of stairs leading up to the lower tier, and the entire complex is surrounded by an angular barrier with octagonal joints.

Silbern is framed by two gutted, curving, tusk-like structures arching toward each other in front of it, and is dwarfed by a large, rectangular tower with a cross on each side rising up behind it. It's imposing frame part of a city called The Wandenreich city. Quincy Soldats clad in white, militaristic uniforms patrolled the city's labyrinthine streets, their eyes sharp, their expressions devoid of warmth.

This was a realm defined by order, precision, and the indomitable will of its ruler, Yhwach. In Silbern, the power of the Quincy thrived, and their presence was an enduring threat to all who dared to trespass.

Amidst the austere atmosphere of the Quincy realm, glimmering from the the ground of the cold, snowy terrain was a green alien glow, emanating from a device of extraterrestrial origin; the Omnitrix. And lying unconscious on the sand face down sideways along with both arms in a near fetal position was it's bearer.

The savior of the universe and beyond, aged 18. The Omnitrix Hero; Ben Tennyson, known by his alias as Ben 10.

Slowly, his body began to stir, gradually his eyes began to flutter, and inevitably his breathing became more soft but still audible. Upon regaining consciousness, Ben's eyes briefly trail from side to side, trying to take in it's surroundings before opening wide, the realization that this was a place, or rather a world foreign to him settling in. The surroundings appeared surreal and disorienting, making him more subconsciously aware that the unfamiliar ground he lay on was cold, his head swimming with questions.

With his continued assessment of his current disposition, Ben's first instinct was to glance at the Omnitrix, confirming that he still possessed the source of his power.

With a sigh of relief, Ben's mind would race to more pending matters. Seemingly never ending questions as he tried to make sense of his current predicament.

Where exactly in the Universe was he?

It wasn't Earth,

Nor Galvan Prime,

Nor the Null Void.

The landscape was completely alien, unlike anything he had encountered in his countless adventures.

Was he even in his Universe?

If not, was he on an alternate Earth or another Planet altogether?

Another Dimension?

Another Realm?

Feeling himself growing overwhelmed by his train of thought, Ben would calm his nerves somewhat, get up from the ground, and begin walking towards the enormous castle within the heart of the Wandenreich that served as the only monument in sight, in hopes that perhaps from the locals, he could get a clearer idea of where he was.

His steps were tentative, each one echoing in the surreal silence of the Quincy realm. As he continued his approach, what felt much longer than it actually was, he now stood much closer to the front of the castle. Its imposing presence commanded attention, a testament to the Quincy's power and precision.

But before he could reach the castle's entrance, he came across a platoon of Quincy Soldats. Clad in stark white uniforms and bearing solemn expressions concealed by grey plague masks with goggles. They regarded him with an air of suspicion. Ben's heart raced once more. These were the very people he needed to question. But little did he know that his presence in the Wandenreich had already been perceived as a threat.

The first confrontation in the Quincy realm was about to unfold, and Ben had no idea of the perilous path he was embarking upon.

With the seemingly deafening silence and the palpable tension in the air Ben, upon noticing their attire would smile weakly "Nice duds. I take it you guys are the authority around here."

But his casual demeanor would be met by an unmoved and steadfast disposition from the Quincy Soldats.

"We are the enforcers of the Wandenreich. Intruders like you are not welcome." Nods one of the Soldats (Quincy Soldat 1) with an air of authority.

INTRUDER IN...!

"You have entered our realm without permission. That is a grave offense." Said another of the Soldats (Quincy Soldat 2) as he grips a weapon on his person more firmly, ready for action.

"State your purpose or leave. There is no room for outsiders in the Wandenreich." Said another Soldat sternly (Quincy Soldat 3) as he adjusted his goggles on his plague mask, scanning Ben.

Despite the remainder of them being silent, the cautious sentiment of their comrades was one shared by all.

The Quincy Soldats remain steadfast and suspicious, unmoved by Ben's casual demeanor.

Ben's eyes would widen in confusion at the terminology used by the third Soldat and narrow in caution upon letting the threat of the second Soldat sink in. Before the hostile air could grow any thicker, Ben would hold up his hands in a bid to try and diffuse the escalating situation.

"Woah, slow down for a second. I'm not looking for a fight, I just want to know where I am." Began Ben assuredly as he looked at the third Soldat.

"You called this place the Wandenreich right? Could you tell me where exactly here is? I promise I'll be on my way once I get the answers I'm looking for. Scouts Honor." Ben would place his left hand on his chest with a sheepish smile in hopes of de-escalating the tense atmosphere and inject even the slightest taint of humor into it.

In response, Quincy Soldat 1 would exchange a wary glance with the others but remain vigilant, saying as follows "The Wandenreich is not a place for idle wanderers. Our realm is not to be taken lightly."

"Promises from outsiders carry little weight here. We must protect our domain." Said Quincy Soldat 2 in keeping with a stern expression, his weapon still at the ready.

"...You are in the Wandenreich city and currently standing before Silbern, the holy castle of his majesty. Neither of which welcome those who do not belong. The consequences for trespassing are severe." Said Quincy Soldat with a brief pause, remaining cautious.

The Quincy Soldats continue to view Ben with suspicion, unyielding in their stance.

Feeling slight anxiety due to their ever present suspicion but smiling all the same, Ben would say the following

"I'm sorry, alright? I didn't mean to trespass in your home. Quite frankly, i don't how I got here."

A short sigh would escape his lips to further calm himself. "All I'm asking for is just more info on where exactly this is. Whether this is earth, or another planet, or another dimension and I give you my word, I won't bother any of you."

Quincy Soldat 1 would exchange uncertain glances with his colleges others, but maintain a guarded posture. "You claim ignorance, but it does not excuse your presence here. The Wandenreich is not a place for casual visitors."

"Words alone cannot undo the trespass. We must report this to the higher-ups." Said Quincy Soldat 2, easing off slightly but remaining cautious.

Quincy Soldat 3 would pause once more, considering Ben's plea. "You will come with us. The authorities will decide your fate."

Audible murmurs could be heard from all the Quincy Soldats that Ben could presently see, they reactions most certainly mixed and lingering with suspicion. Regardless, they would come to a decision to escort Ben rather than resorting to immediate aggression.

Upon noticing the tepid decrease in tension, Ben would sigh once more, his expression somewhat neutral but tone assuring. "It's already a foreboding sign that you guys don't seem to recognize me, but I'm not going to dwell on that right now. I really don't want to fight any of you so if you can promise you won't try anything, i'll go with you."

"Very well. You will accompany us to our superiors, where your fate will be decided." Quincy Soldat 1 nods with guarded acknowledgment.

"Do not think this will absolve you of your intrusion, outsider." Said Quincy Soldat 2 Quincy Soldat 2 as he holsters the weapon, but still maintains a vigilant stance.

" We do not seek unnecessary violence, but your presence here must be accounted for. Follow us." Said Quincy Soldat 3, Slightly less tense.

"Thank you." Said Ben with a sigh of relief, glad to have reached a compromise with them. As he begins walking towards them however, the Omnitrix begins to glow brightly almost like a homing beacon, it's holographic wheel appearing and spinning continuously through countless alien icons, startling Ben and the Quincy Soldats in the process.

"What is that on your wrist?" Asked Quincy Soldat 1, raising an eyebrow behind his plague mask.

"Is that a weapon? Explain yourself!" Demanded Quincy Soldat 2 Quincy Soldat 2 as he grips his weapon again, wary of the sudden development.

Quincy Soldat 3's reaction was a lot more reserved, choosing instead to glance at the glowing Omnitrix, then at his companions, keeping a close watch on Ben. "This complicates matters. We must report this to our superiors immediately." He said with heightened caution and suspicion.

A sentiment once again shared by his comrades.

Upon noticing the panicking Soldats, Ben's concern would further grow.

"Wait! It's not a weapon!" Pleaded Ben before looking at the Omnitrix with worry as it continued to seemingly malfunction, his thoughts highlighting his growing distress.

'It's never done this before... what's happening with the Omnitrix?!'

"What is the meaning of this? Explain the purpose of that device." Said a still wary Quincy Soldat 1, keeping a distance.

"This is a dangerous development. We cannot take any chances." Said Quincy Soldat 2 as he maintained a defensive posture, but with a hint of curiosity.

Quincy Soldat 3, continuing to be the more reserved of the lot, watched Ben closely, holding back the others. "You must provide an explanation. We cannot allow unknown technology to remain unchecked in our realm."

The Quincy Soldats remained on edge, awaiting an explanation for the mysterious device on Ben's wrist.

Ben would hold forward his right hand in an attempt to placate the agitated Soldats "Just calm down and promise you'll listen to me. I can expla..."

He would trail off as suddenly, a large beam of green energy would shoot from the Omnitrix to the dark sky of the Wandenreich city, briefly enveloping it in it's entirety with a green dome tint. A phenomenon that garnered the attention of all life within the Wandenreich, leaving them curious and wary as to what may have been the cause.

And for the Quincy Soldats currently in Ben's presence, alarming them even further and placing them on high alert, drawing their negotiations with Ben further and further to a breakdown.

"What sorcery is this?" Asked Quincy Soldat 1, taking a step back further due to being startled by the beam.

Quincy Soldat 2 would raises his weapon again, ready for a potential threat. "We cannot trust this intruder. He wields strange powers."

"Explain yourself now, or we will take drastic action." Said Quincy Soldat 3, speaking with urgency as he maintained a watchful gaze on Ben.

"I really don't know what's going on, I swear!" Said Ben somewhat frantically, looking at the Omnitrix, noticing that it's glow hadn't seized, making him greatly concerned on the lengths of which it was malfunctioning, his woes only made worse by the growing agitation of the Quincy Soldats.

"You must provide explanations immediately." Demanded Quincy Soldat 1 firmly.

"This is a dangerous situation. Do not test our patience." Said Quincy Soldat 2 as he tightened his grip on his weapon, showing increasing readiness.

"You have one chance to clarify your actions. Make it count." Said Quincy Soldat 3, maintaining a stern expression, his eyes still locked on Ben.

Though remaining skeptical and wary, the Quincy Soldats nonetheless awaited a convincing response from Ben.

"Listen, if I wanted trouble, I would have attacked you guys from the moment I saw you. You don't want to do this, trust me." Said Ben assuredly in an attempt to maintain his cool.

Assurance which would do little to temper their hearts already ignited by the embers of duty and loyalty to the Wandenreich and protect it from potential threats.

"We have trusted you long enough. Your actions have raised too many concerns." Said Quincy Soldat 1 as his eyes behind the plague mask narrowed with suspicion, his weapon still at the ready.

"We do not take threats lightly. You have given us no choice." Glared Quincy Soldat 2 at Ben, his anger building beneath the mask.

Quincy Soldat 3 would exchange a few words with the others, expressions growing grim behind the masks, before uttering his own stance on the matter.

One which truly and utterly killed any hope in Ben's heart for peaceful dialogue.

"We must eliminate this threat."

As suspicion and tension escalate, the Quincy Soldats draw their weapons and move in to confront Ben, their intent clear: capture or eliminate the intruder.

They saw him as an intruder, a trespasser in their domain, and their response was swift and aggressive. Ben's pleas for understanding and peace fell on deaf ears as they moved to capture him.

In the ensuing chaos, the Omnitrix's bright green hum grew stronger, a beacon of hope in this foreign and hostile place.

"Oh man." Said Ben through teeth gritted with anxiety as he watched his oncoming assailants draw closer.

'Guess a fight couldn't be avoided after all.' Thought Ben with a hint of sadness.

Ben knew he had to defend himself, and with a determined two finger press of the Omnitrix's faceplate, activated the device and slammed down the core, causing a blinding green light to engulf him. The light caused the approaching Quincy Soldats to briefly stop in their tracks due to its intense rays briefly clouding the field of vision of their goggles.

"It's too late for tricks." Said Quincy Soldat 1 with his weapon raised, ready to attack.

"We will put an end to this intrusion." Said Quincy Soldat 2, readied for combat and his anger mounting.

"Your alien powers will not save you." Said Quincy Soldat 3, preparing for the confrontation.

As the blinding light begun to dimmer, indicating the end of Ben's transformation the Quincy Soldats prepare to confront the unexpected threat, determined to fulfill their mission of protecting the Wandenreich, and he ready to face the Quincy Soldats in his path.

...The Quincy Realm!

Suddenly two twin streams of fire would be shot at the Quincy Soldats, the ensuing explosion from it's impact scattering their numbers.

"Alien is right." A new voice began originating from where Ben stood, the green light completely gone and in it's place, a d gradually dispersing dust cloud, revealing Ben to be in his Methanosian form; "Swampfire"

"Though I was kinda hoping I didn't have to go alien right away." Said Swampfire with a hint of regret blended with resolution on what he had to do.

The first battle in the Quincy realm had begun, with the fate of Ben Tennyson hanging in the balance.

Chapter 1: Intruder In The Quincy Realm!

"Wat is this power?!" Shouted an alarmed Quincy Soldat 1, caught completely off guard both by Ben's sudden transformation and the flames engulfing him and the other Quincy Soldats.

A sentiment shared by many of his peers.

"We were not prepared for this!" Said Quincy Soldat 2 struggling to regain his composure as he was thrown to the ground by the explosion.

Quincy Soldat 3 would emerge from the dust, visibly shaken but determined to confront the threat. "This alien form will not save you."

The Quincy Soldats would regroup, shaken by the unexpected power they face but still resolved to confront him at all costs.

"I'd say last chance to call it quits but I bet you guys are already past that point. So let's do this." Said Swampfire sternly as he formed fireballs in both hands

"We will not back down." Declared Quincy Soldat 1 with determination Quincy Soldat 1, regaining his composure and raising his weapon.

"This will be settled here." Glared Quincy Soldat 2 with defiance, ready for the confrontation.

"Our loyalty to the Wandenreich is unwavering." Said Quincy Soldat 3, moving forward, undeterred by the threat and focused on their mission.

The Quincy Soldats, while shaken by the display of power, stand their ground, ready to confront Swampfire.

"Yeah? Well then,try not to get yourselves hurt... " Began Swampfire with a scoff.

"...Too much." With a slight smirk, Swampfire would begin throwing a barrage of fireballs at the oncoming Quincy Soldats.

Quincy Soldat 1 would attempt fo evade the incoming fireballs, and though he succeeded, more than a few hit their marks causing the hit Soldats to cry out in pain. "We will not yield!" Shouted Quincy Soldat 1 amidst their screams.

Quincy Soldat 2 would dash to the side, avoiding the flames with urgency "We are prepared to do what is necessary."

Quincy Soldat 3 would raise a blue barrier of spirit particles to defend himself and some of his allies against the fireballs. "Your tricks will not save you!"

Swampfire upon seeing Quincy Soldat 3's defensive manuever would grin as he cupped both hands together, forming a giant fireball, before throwing it at the Quincy Soldats, immediately blowing the brunt of their numbers back even further.

Quincy Soldat 1 was caught in the blast of the fireball, with some Soldats sent flying, and others grimacing in pain. "We must not falter!"

"We will endure this trial!" Shouted Quincy Soldat 2 as he took cover behind the rubble, shaken by the explosion as well.

"You will not break our resolve!" Declared Quincy Soldat 3 with a look of determination behind his plague mask, despite his struggles to maintain his barrier against the fireball's force.

While the Quincy Soldats are knocked back by Swampfire's attack, their determination remains unwavering as they continue to confront the alien intruder.

Sensing a need for change in his approach Swampfire would jump into the air amidst the chaos and land a right Superman punch to Quincy Soldat 1, stumbling him back from the punch, and causing him to grimace in pain even further. A right uppercut to Quincy Soldat 2 beside him at his left would take him by surprise and send him reeling, then a left clothesline to Quincy Soldat 3 who was running towards him would catch him off guard by and send him tumbling to the ground. All three of them were knocked out by their respective blows.

"We must endure!"

"This is not the end!"

"We fight for the Wandenreich!"

Were just some of the numerous battle cries that echoed across the battlefield as Swampfire launched a series of powerful strikes, with the Quincy Soldats enduring the onslaught through their unwavering determination.

Right Solar Plexus punch.

Left Cross.

Right Haymaker.

Left Spinning Back Elbow.

Right Push Kick.

Left Uppercut

Right Straight.

These were just some of the numerous series of blows Swampfire was showering each Quincy Soldat that came towards his path, sending each of them flying with a guaranteed knockout blow on each hit.

Keeping them further on edge, Swampfire, with fireballs formed in each hand once more, would begin to hurl them rapidly to Quincy Soldats from either mid to long range, setting them ablaze upon engulfing or blowing them away with each ensuing explosion upon making contact with their targets. Not relenting, Swampfire would cup both hands together and shoot twin streams of fire from his palms like a flamethrower, covering all corners of the battlefield, either trapping or engulfing oncoming Quincy Soldats in the process.

With every Quincy Soldat he hadn't incapacitated with his previous attacks now forced into a corner by the wall of flames he just created, Swampfire was now in a optimal position to enact the next part of his counterattack; by crossing his arms into an "X" and uncrossing them just as fast, Swampfire would throw a multitude of seeds above all corners of the fire wall, landing on the ground in front or directly below the unsuspecting Quincy Soldats, unprepared for the large vines that would sprout out of them, entrapping and ensnaring a majority of them, eliciting cries of frustration as their struggles to break free from the hold of the vines proved fruitless.

Before the Quincy Soldats not trapped by the vines could even decide on a course of action as a response, Swampfire would run through the flames and without hesitation, proceeds to land more powerful and precise strikes on those still left stunned by his prior displays.

Coming out of their stupor, the Qunicy Soldats who hadn't yet been made quick work of began running towards Swampfire. One of the oncoming Quincy Soldats would be grabbed by the arm he attempted to attack Swampfire with then judo thrown to the ground behind Swampfire, before being hit with a punch to the face, knocking him out.

Just as Swampfire turned to hit another Quincy Soldat with a right cross, he found his right hand disremembered by a precise slash from his opponent, giving him and his fellow Quincy Soldats a feint hope of victory. Hope that would swiftly be dashed as Swampfire would instantaneously grow a new right arm and sucker punch the baffled Quincy Soldat with it, sending him crashing into a group of his comrades.

As another tried to slash at his head, Swampfire would slightly duck to avoid the slash before placing his left palm on the Quincy Soldat's abdomen, firing a concentrated blast of fire that would blow him back by several feet and tumbling across the sand.

With both hands clenched into fists and engulfed in flames, Swampfire would lunge towards what remained of his Quincy Soldat opponents, effortlessly dispatching them with a mixture of melee and fire based attacks.

One by one at a rapid rate, what remained of the Qunicy Soldats engaging with the alien intruder began to fall, their spirits broken as Swampfire's relentless assault and fierceness overwhelmed them.

Unbeknownst to our Omnitrix hero, the inability of the Quincy Soldats to vanquish him was being viewed by more than a few prying eyes that would eventually come to raise the stakes of his fight for survival even higher.

...B10 X B:TYBW...

In the dimly lit throne room of Silbern, Yhwach, the enigmatic and powerful ruler, sat upon his ornate throne, his piercing eyes focused on a crystal orb that revealed the unfolding battle soon to reach it's conclusion in the Quincy realm. Shadows concealed the presence of the Sternritters standing behind him, their silence adding to the air of anticipation.

"A shape-shifter with mastery over fire and plant-life...a most intriguing intruder indeed. From gauging his power further, we shall see if he will be a threat or opportunity to our cause." Said Yhwach a sense of calculated interest as he watched the orb intently.

"The intruder shows remarkable strength." Commented one of the Sternritters on the battle.

"Indeed. He is making quick work of our Soldats." Said another in agreement with a hint of excitement.

"Oh, I can't wait to have a piece of that action." The eagerness and excitement in their voice was palpable.

"I'll bet it's going to be a blast!" Said one sharing the other's excitement.

"Hold your enthusiasm until we receive orders from Yhwach." One of the Sternritters cautioned the two whom were excited.

Yhwach would nod in silent acknowledgement, his gaze unwavering on the orb.

"Bambietta, go deal with the intruder." Ordered Yhwach.

"You got it, Yhwach. I'll show him what true power looks like." The eager and excited Sternritter from before, now revealed to be Bambietta spoke with greater excitement and significant confidence.

"Why does she always get the fun assignments?" Said one of the Sternritters, voicing their displeasure.

"It's not fair." Said another Sternritter in agreement, showing their frustration.

"Because I'm the best, and Yhwach knows it." Said Bambietta with an unapologetic smirk.

With Yhwach's orders given, Bambietta departs with an air of confidence, ready to confront the intruder, while the other Sternritters grumble in discontent, knowing they'll have to wait for their chance.

A chance that would come sooner than they had initially expected.

Scorched Sand.

Steaming Earth.

Veils of Smoke ascending to the atmosphere.

Molten Swords and Spears.

Withering Vines.

Soot covered or charred Quincy uniform.

Fire charred concrete from the destroyed stairs leading to the lower tier.

This was the wreckage that lay on the snowy battlefield of Silbern, with the Quincy Soldats that engaged in it on the ground, utterly and completely defeated, the obvious victor standing inside a hallway of Silbern's lower level.

"Told you guys you wouldn't want to do this." Said Swampfire casually to the unconscious Quincy Soldats that lay on the ground around him in the initial entrance of the hallway he entered and back outside on the snow. With a beeping sound coming from the Omnitrix, Swampfire would be engulfed in a flash of green light, reverting him back to his human form.

"Now just rest up while I try to find your boss and make sense of this place. Don't worry, you're bruised but not too banged up, you'll be fine." Groans of pain were the only response the Quincy Soldats could utter to Ben's smug remark, with him taking in his new surroundings.

The hallway of the lower level of Silbern exuded an eerie blend of modernity and antiquity. White stone walls were adorned with enigmatic, glowing symbols that pulse with energy, casting an otherworldly illumination throughout the corridor. High ceilings towered above, adding to the sense of grandeur.

The walls were lined with tall, narrow windows, their panes thick with ornate patterns. The floor, made of polished dark stone, reflected the ethereal lighting from above. Along the hallway, tapestries and banners in white and red hues, bearing the Quincy crest, hung as silent witnesses to the events that transpired.

As Ben navigated the corridor, the atmosphere was heavy with an air of authority and mystique, emphasizing the significance of the location within the imposing castle.

"This place is surreal... definitely a fancy castle." Said Ben, awestruck initially before letting out a sigh. "And with my past experiences in fancy castles, this doesn't bode well." The caution in his voice was not only significant, but valid.

As almost immediately after he spoke, a new opponent would emerge from the shadows behind him.

"You got that right, pretty boy. But don't worry, we'll show you a real blast!" Grinned Bambietta mischievously with a confident and taunting tone, causing Ben to instinctively turn back to face her.

"Who are you? You look... different from the guys I beat outside." Said Ben with his eyes widened in surprise before narrowing in suspicion upon taking in Bambietta's person.

"Names aren't important. What matters is I'm about to give you a fireworks display you won't forget." Smirked Bambietta with a wicked gleam in her eye and her hands subtly being coated in a blue aura, her intent clear.

Before Ben could even utter a word in response, his eyes would widen once more right before he would duck down with his head clenched to avoid a blue Reishi blast from Bambietta, destroying a segment of the wall behind him in an instant.

"Hey! That's my head you were aiming for just now!" Shouted Ben with irritation.

"You should've known better than to mess with us Quincies. Your head is the least of your worries!" Laughed Bambietta maliciously, making it clear she wasn't holding back in her determined quest to eliminate the intruder.

"Guess I'll have to shelve the diplomacy act for later." Said Ben anxiously as he stood straight on his feet.

"Diplomacy won't save you now, intruder. Get ready to be blown away!" Smirked Bambietta with a wicked glint in her eyes.

With her powers charged and ready, Bambietta unleashed her explosive might through a series of Reishi blasts aimed at Ben's general direct.

In response, Ben would weave to the right then duck down before running in an arc around Bambietta to deftly avoid her Reishi bullet explosions, even performing a somersault to a back handspring into the air

"You're quick, aren't you? But not quick enough!" Grinned Bambietta with a twisted sense of delight as she threw another Reishi blast towards the airborne Ben just as he was about to activate the Omnitrix, causing him to hold up both hands in front of his face to block.

As the blast was about to collide with him, Ben would be suddenly engulfed in a green flash of light that's immediately followed up with the explosion, creating a blue smoke cloud in the process.

"Gotcha!" Laughed Bambietta triumphantly, with the enveloping blue smoke cloud adding to her confidence, making her believe she has taken down her target

From the dispersing smoke a rainbow like glow could be seen right before being shot forward like a beam towards the near unsuspecting Bambietta.

"What the--?!" Were the words Bambietta managed to utter before being struck by the beam, sending skidding slightly on the ground by her back.

A minor tremor shook the first floor as a new figure landed from the dispersed smoke cloud in a superhero pose, revealing itself to be Ben's Crystalsapien transformation; "Chromastone".

"What... who are you?" Said Bambietta in shock, so taken aback by the reveal of the new form that she barely stood on both feet.

"Someone you've made a big mistake messing with." Said Chromastone with determination. As he stood straight, Chromastone outstretched his left palm forward, and shot another rainbow beam at Bambietta who due to her prior stupor, was unable to evade in time, crying out in pain as she was caught in the blast, with it engulfing her in it's radiance and sending her flying several feet backwards.

As Chromastone walked forward slightly towards the downed Bambietta, he began to self reflect audibly on an aspect of his current disposition. "I didn't even have to touch the Omnitrix to transform that time. How is that..."

Chromastone's single eye would widen as he stopped walking, a most shocking realization just setting in.

"No way... before I left Galvan Prime, Azimuth must have been able to activate the Master Control..." Chromastone's expression of surprise would immediately shift in a toothy grin.

"All right!" Shouted Chromastone excitedly.

"You talk too much, pretty boy." Groaned Bambietta as she slowly rose once more, her determination unbroken as she prepares to continue the battle against Chromastone.

"Maybe so, but I'm feeling pretty good right now and added with the fact that I've gotten practically the best upgrade ever, I'd say you're in big trouble, lady." Smirked Chromastone.

"We'll see about that." Glared Bambietta at Chromastone with a mix of anger and determination.

"Take your best shot." Taunted Chromastone as he did a "Come at me" gesture to Bambietta with his left hand.

"Oh, I will." Said Bambietta with fury before hurling a greater barrage of Reishi blasts and bullets at Chromastone, each with far more power behind them than the previous ones.

In response, Chromastone would stand with his hands crossed, forming a rainbow energy dome around himself that instinctively absorbed the Reishi blasts thrown his way, his expression unimpressed.

"What's it going to take to put you down?!" Shouted Bambietta, frustrated by Chromastone's resilience as she remained unrelenting in her assault.

"Definitely not this, that's for sure." Scoffed Chromastone as he uncrossed his hands and shoots another rainbow beam at Bambietta with both hands.

Bambietta would narrowly weave to her right side to avoid the blast before running towards Chromastone, with the later sending smaller rapid fire energy blasts at her with both hands, of which she would alternate between running from side to side to dodge.

After ducking to avoid a blast aimed for her head, Bambietta would attempt to lunge at Chromastone with a jump but would immediately hold up both hands to blow a blast aimed at her chest, sending her sprawling through the hallway due to the force of the impact until she unsheathed her Spirit Sword and stabbed it into the ground, bringing her to a sudden stop.

While kneeling with her hand holding the plunged sword, Bambietta could be seen with a faint blue pattern tracing around her arms, indicating that she used the Quincy technique "Blut Vene" to lessen the damage inflicted to her arms from Chromastone's attack, piquing the Crystalsapien's curiosity.

"Nice technique you got there, lady. Too bad it's probably not gonna increase your chances all that much against me. Heck, at this rate, you might have better luck with that sword you're holding right now." Mocked Chromastone.

"Just you wait. I've got plenty more tricks up my sleeve." Glared Bambietta defiantly at Chromastone from her kneeling position on the ground, her Blut Vene dispersing.

"Then show me." Said Chromastone with intrigue as he placed his hands on his waist.

With Chromastone's challenge, Bambietta would hastily climb back to her feet. "You asked for it." She said, prepared to continue the battle, holding her sword in both hands.

With a battle cry, Bambietta would run towards Chromastone, slashing at him upwards diagonally, causing Chromastone to sidestep, then downwards, causing Chromastone to step back slightly, avoiding both attacks.

Side steps, slight back steps and weaves would be the evasive maneuvers Chromastone would further employ to dodge Bambietta's sword slashes, making her grow even more frustrated with each futile attempt as the realization that he was toying with her sunk in that much more.

Suddenly, Bambietta would do a sword spin slash at 180 degrees to Chromastone's midsection, her blade just barely nicking him, but she was undeterred as that wasn't her her true objective.

That came from her throwing her blade high up into the air which immediately drew Chromastone's gaze towards it, causing her to step on his slightly lowered knee with one leg, then jump off his face with another to perform an aerial backflip matching her sword's altitude, grabbing it by the hilt and falling towards the stunned Chromastone with her sword hand held up.

The sound of steel clashing with crystal echoed throughout the hallway as Chromastone held up his right hand to block Bambietta's downard slash.

"You can't hold me back forever!" Said Bambietta through teeth gritted in frustration as her target was the crystal on Chromastone's head. Using his chest as a launch pad, Bambietta would jump off Chromastone with another back flip and land in a squatting position before running towards him to attack once more.

With a downward slash to a spinning horizontal slash aimed at Chromastone's neck, Bambietta would find her blade held by Chromastone's left hand by it's tip.

"And you can't fight forever." Taunted Chromastone.

"We'll see about that!" Shouted Bambietta resolutely right before executing a rather unexpected maneuver; Switching to holding her sword with just her left hand, Bambietta would spin as if about to perform a spinning elbow with her right only to instead place the palm of that hand on Chromastone's chest. Chromastone wouldn't react in time to the Reishi blast from the palm that ensued along with the diagonal slash aimed at his upper body from Bambietta's sword, now infused with Reishi, sending him skidding backwards slightly on his feet.

"You're going to need more firepower than that to even dent me." Scoffed Chromastone, unfazed by the faint trail of smoke emanating from his chest.

"Oh, I've got plenty more where that came from." Smirked Bambietta with a hint of amusement. Upon falling to her right knee to stab her Spirit Sword into the ground, Bambietta would send a energy spike like wave of Reishi towards Chromastone, causing him to narrowly sidestep out of the way and thrust his right hand forward to fire a rainbow beam at her, which she would deflect with a standing diagonal slash upward. With the momentum from the slash, Bambietta would spin at 180 degrees in place and swing her left hand backwards, firing several Reishi blasts at Chromastone.

Upon contact, they would immediately explode, causing Chromastone to slightly grunt as he wasn't able to absorb the brunt of the attack.

'She's adapting.' Thought Chromastone as he narrowly gazed at the grinning Bambietta, who would proceed to drag her sword across the floor before swinging it upward diagonally, sending another energy wave towards Chromastone, of which he would fly up to the air to avoid, leaving him open to a large Reishi blast from Bambietta's left palm thrust, which he would narrowly begin to absorb.

With Chromastone still occupied by the attack, Bambietta would run around him, pelting him with near pint sized, rapid fire Reishi bullets, seeking to break through Chromastone's defenses and succeeding, as each bullet exploded upon contact of whatever they hit. When they hit Chromastone, they elicited short but sharp grunts of pain from him. When they didn't but instead it the other corners of the corridor like the walls and ceiling, the debris that fell or blew apart from it hit Chromastone, eliciting grunts of annoyance from him as they caused his concentration to wane.

With both the crystal shard on his head and his single eye, Chromastone would fire small to medium sized rainbow beams to hit some of the Reishi blasts from Bambietta he couldn't dodge or absorb.

"You won't dodge them all!" Shouted Bambietta with determination right before firing a barrage of Reishi blasts at the ceiling, causing even more debris to fall on Chromastone and causing him to briefly stop shooting his rainbow beams as he shielded his eyes from the debris, granting Bambietta the opening she needed to fire a large Reishi blast which hit him dead on and knocked him out of the air and tumbling on his back as he landed on the ground.

"Try this on for size!" Shouted Bambietta as she unleashed a near tidal wave like blast of Reishi that travelled across the ground towards Chromastone who was groggily getting up.

With a gleam of mischief in his single eye, Chromastone's entire body would begin glowing the same rainbow color as his energy beams. And as the Reishi blast was mere inches from hitting him, with a bright glow covering the entire hallway, Chromastone released large scale energy blast that covered all corners of the castle's lower level, overwhelming a stunned Bambietta from it's sheer intensity and engulfing her in it.

The walls, pillars and ceilings crumbled instantaneously, with the windows falling suit, the ensuing chaos and destruction causing the battle to take a dramatic turn as the hallway within Silbern's lower level is torn asunder. With it now in an inhabitable state, the first floor would no longer be stage for the battle between the two combatants, leaving the outside to suffice.

And outside they were, as Chromastone, now airborne, briefly flew across the surrounding area until he came to a stop upon sighting his opponent.

Bambietta, laying on her side on the ground, grimacing in pain as she struggles to get up, her clothes tattered and her body battered.

"You... you won't get away with this..." Bambietta muttered through teeth gritted in frustration.

With his opponent whom he believed to be surely defeated, Chromastone would land directly in front of her and put his hands on his waist as an act of confidence in his victory.

"I think you should cut back on moving around too much, lady. From the looks of it, you'd only hurt yourself even more." Said Chromastone bluntly, assured that Bambietta was in no physical condition to continue battle with him.

As such her smirk, albeit a weak, immediately made him suspicious.

"You underestimate... us Quincy."

That was the only warning Chromastone would get, as he would suddenly find himself be struck in the back by a bolt of lightning, sending him tumbling violently through the snow of Silbern. As he came to a stop with his body sprawled on the ground as he laid on his stomach, Chromastone would groggily begin to get up, his single eye immediately falling on a new combatant that just entered the battlefield and stood beside his previous opponent; Candice Catnipp.

"Gotta admit, that was a nice shot, Candice." Smirked Bambietta with satisfaction at Candice's surprise attack.

'"That was nothing, Bambi. There's more where that came from." Grinned Candice with a sense of triumph, both girls standing ready to capitalize on their advantage.

"A two on one? Just how is that fair?" Groaned Chromastone with annoyance.

"Fair? We don't play by the rules here." Smirked Bambietta with a sinister gleam in her eyes.

"Get ready, intruder." Grinned Candice with confidence as her body began cackling with electricity generated from Reishi.

"If you're not going to, then neither will I." Said Chromastone with determination right before being engulfed in a bright flash of green light. As it died down, standing in his place was his Sonorosian form; "Echo Echo"

"What's this now?" Said Bambietta in astonishment, taken aback by the new transformation. A feeling that was also mutual with Candice, albeit briefly as her grin shortly returned.

"I like surprises." Said Candice, eager to face the new challenge.

Echo Echo smirked at Candice's eagerness. "Then. You're. Gonna. Love..." His body would be briefly coated with a green aura before a clone of himself would appear beside him. "This!" Both clones would shout in unison as they unleashed a sonic scream towards Bambietta and Candice.

Both girls would be caught off guard by the simultaneous sonic screams, with Bambietta in particular crying out in pain from the attack. Candice, though similarly overwhelmed, would attempt to add struggle to maintain her footing as the sonic assault raged on. Eventually they would both be sent flying back from the attack as both Echo Echo's increased it's pitch, causing them to hit the ground on their backs and briefly skid on it.

"There's. More. Where. That. Came. From." Said the original Echo Echo confidently with a smirk.

"He's stronger than we thought!" Groaned Bambietta in pain, Bambietta clutching her head due to slight disorientation from the previous attack.

"We can't back down now!" Said Candice in determination despite her own slight disorientation.

Before either Echo Echo could retort, the clone would find himself bitten in the arm, causing him to yelp in pain before being flung into the air, with the original Echo Echo watching helplessly in shock. With his guard down, the original Echo Echo would be unable to react to a kick to the gut accompanied by a playful giggle that also sent him airborne before being struck with a powerful downward punch that sent him flying towards and crashing into his clone, both landing painfully on the ground.

As his clone merged back with him, Echo Echo amidst groans of pain would look up to see three new combatants at this time standing alongside Bambietta and Candice; Liltotto Lamperd (The one who bit his clone), Giselle Gewelle (The one who kicked him into the air) and Meninas McAllon (The one who punched him into his clone).

"There's. More. Of. You? Aw. Man." Whined Echo Echo as he looked at them with worry.

"You didn't think we'd let you off easy, did you? Smirked Meninas as she readied herself for the battle.

"We're just getting started." Said Liltotto in a flat tone that though didn't match her tone, portrayed her growing sense of anticipation all the same.

"Time to have some fun." Giggled Giselle Giselle with a hint of sadistic excitement in her voice.

"You're in for a world of hurt, intruder." Said Bambietta boldly, regaining her composure as she stands beside her comrades.

"We're not going down without a fight." Said Candice with determination.

The combined force of the five Quincy girls saw them closing in on Echo Echo, ready to challenge him further in their relentless pursuit.

"New. Plan." Said Echo Echo wearily with a blend of determination. Once again, the green flash of light would engulf him briefly, and with it's fading stood in Echo Echo's place his Kineceleran form; "Xlr8"

"Catch me if you can." Quipped Xlr8 as he slid down his protective visor down right before darting off at blinding speeds towards the girls, scattering their numbers, then running around them in a circle, leaving a speed trail of blue and black with his movements faster than the naked eye could trace.

"Don't let him escape!" Ordered Bambietta as she begun firing medium Reishi blasts at Xlr8, ensuring that with their size the explosions that would result from them wouldn't hit or blow back her and her comrades.

"I've got him in my sights!" Shouted Candice as she began firing lighting bolts charged with Reishi at him.

"He's not getting away from us." Said Liltotto resolutely as she shifted her mouth outward into an extended form, allowing it to become a gaping maw of jagged teeth that she stretched out further to chomp down on Xlr8.

"A game of tag now is it?" Asked Giselle with a grin. Meninas in comparison didn't say a word, resulting instead to clench her fists in anticipation.

"You're not leaving this fight that easily!" Declared Candice as she intensified her attacks.

Despite their efforts, Xlr8 would effortlessly dodge and weave past their attacks, particularly Bambietta and Candice's projectiles.

"Who said anything about getting away?" Taunted Xlr8, his movements ever elusive.

"He's fast!" Acknowledged Bambietta with frustration as her attacks despite her increased intensity came no closer to either hitting him or slowing him down.

"We can't let him slip through!" Stated Candice, not faring any better herself.

"That's the plan." Said Xlr8 smugly as he stood directly behind Bambietta and Candice, before blitzing past them just as they were about to turn back.

"He's too quick for us! Growled Bambietta, her frustration growing.

"We can't let him escape!" Said Candice through teeth gritted in annoyance as she watches him zoom past.

Xlr8 would suddenly appear in front of Meninas, who despite her initial surprise would begin throwing a variety of blows at his general direction, neither of which would land as he effortlessly ducked and weaved them.

"Stand still, you coward!" Shouted Meninas with frustration, unrelenting in her attacks.

With Xlr8 currently occupied with Meninas, Liltotto, who was standing several feet away from him from behind, saw this as an ideal opportunity to send her extended mouth towards him to attack.

Making her surprise all the more palpable as Xlr8, while still sparring with Meninas, would grab the mouth without looking back with the three bulky claws on his left hand, then drag her forward towards an equally surprised Meninas, causing them to collide into one another.

"What's going on?" Said Meninas with confusion as Liltotto lay on top of her.

"You idiot! Watch where you're going!" Shouted Liltotto in annoyance.

Xlr8 would then dart towards the last of the five girls he hadn't yet engaged, running circles around Giselle.

"Get back here, you little pest." Said Giselle with a hint of amusement and a slight undertone of growing frustration at her failure to keep up with Xlr8's high speed movements.

"What the...?" Giselle would utter in surprise as she was tripped from behind by Xlr8's tail, causing her to be airborne right before smacked away with said tail, sending her tumbling across the terrain, creating some distance between the two of them.

With Xlr8's gaze fixated on the downed Giselle, his back was turned to Candice, who seeking to seize the opportunity, jumps up into the air, aiming at Xlr8 from behind with her hands channeling with electricity

"This is your end!" Declared Candice before shooting a lighting bolt towards the seemingly unsuspecting Xlr8.

A flash of green would illuminate the battlefield once more right as the lighting bolt seemingly struck it's target. Just as Candice was about to land on the ground, still observing her opponent and what had become of him, she would to her shock grabbed out of the air by a gigantic, green, crystal hand emerging from the ground.

"What's happening?!" Shouted Candice in alarm from the crystal hand's hold.

"Aaah!" Shouted Candice in pain as the gigantic crystal hand slammed her down to the ground, temporarily incapacitating her and further restraining her.

Walking from behind the crystal hand was Xlr8's Petrosapien form; "Diamondhead".

"Don't even try to break out from that, it's not gonna work." Said Diamondhead as he glared at the downed Candice with a stoic expression.

"You... you won't get away with this!" Said Candice, struggling in vain to break free from the crystal.

With his confident stance and focused gaze, Diamondhead would subtly shift his attention to the crystal hand which now held Candice upward, of which it's reflection showed Meninas and Liltotto running towards him from behind.

"Catch." Said Diamondhead casually as he did a throw gesture with his back turned to his oncoming assailants, throwing a baffled Candice towards them.

"Got her!" Said Meninas as she caught Candice with both hands, a look of surprise evidently on her face.

"You're getting creative, aren't you?" Said Liltotto dryly as she gazed at Diamondhead.

"I'm just getting started." Smirked Diamondhead as he turned back to face them right before holding up his left hand, summoning gigantic crystal shards from above the ground. With a motion of his left hand forward, Diamondhead holsters them directly above Meninas, Candice and Liltotto, the three of which watched on in stunned silence.

"Oh no!" Shouted Meninas in dismay, realizing the oncoming danger.

With a motion of his left hand downard, Diamondhead sends the gigantic crystal shards crashing down on the three girls, causing a minor tremor across the terrain kicking up a large amount of snow, mist and dust in the process. As the dust cloud clears, Diamondhead notices only Candice buried partially underneath the rubble with her face visible.

"Hmm, I was hoping to catch more than one person with that move." Said Diamondhead with a hint of amusement.

"You... you won't stop us that easily." Coughed Candice weakly.

Diamondhead would hold up his right hand to his face level, and upon looking at his arm, would see Bambietta's reflection on it, with her poised to attack him.

"Maybe not" Said Diamondhead with a slight snicker right before morphing his right hand into spikes then turning around to shoot diamond shards at Bambietta just as she shot Reishi blasts at him towards him, his shards exploding upon contact with her blasts, creating a dazzling display of sparks and explosions.

"But I won't back down easily either."

With a flash of green, Diamondhead assumed his Citrakayah transformation; "Fasttrack". In a blur, Fasttrack would pick up piles of diamond shards from the rubble that buried the still struggling Candice, holding them under his left hand, and proceeding to run circles around Bambietta, creating a whirlwind of motion at incredible velocities.

"Another speedster?" Bambietta scoffs. "Doesn't matter what you turn into, I'll still blow you to bits!"

"Only one way to find out." Replied Fasttrack confidently amidst Bambietta's declaration, while still running around her in a circle, before proceeding would to throw the shards, causing Bambietta to destroy them with her Reishi blasts. Unfortunately for Bambietta, it would only be a matter of seconds before her repeated destruction of the crystal shards at her would see her surrounding by a flurry of explosions in the process.

Thrown back by the explosive chaos, Bambietta is sent flying away from her comrades on the terrain. Before she can be sent even further Fasttrack would run around her in a smaller circle with greater speed, slowly lifting her up in and creating a mini tornado of wind colored black and blue from his speed trail.

"What's this? Trying to toss me around like a ragdoll?" "Asked Bambietta with evident frustration as she's lifted off the ground by the cyclone.

Fasttrack lightly chuckles in response to Bambietta's plight before increasing his speed further, gradually removing the oxygen within the mini tornado and causing it to grow larger in height.

"You think this will stop me?" Asked Bambietta with palpable anger, agitated by Fasttrack's laughter and the effects of the depleting oxygen slowly setting in.

Fasttrack's chuckling would become even more audible, his tone one of mischief as he increased his speed further, making the tornado even larger with it's height near comparable to a sandstorm.

"Damn you! You'll regret this!" Cursed Bambietta with desperation in her voice as the tornado on top of completely engulfing her, lifted her high into the air, making it impossible for her to escape its grasp. The winds howl around her, her already rigid composure waning even more rapidly as she finds herself at Fasttrack's mercy.

Fasttrack would then stop running, causing the tornado to disperse almost as quickly as it was formed, and a disoriented Bambietta to begin plummeting down. Just as she's about to hit the snowy ground, Fasttrack would land a flurry of superspeed punches to her stomach, both keeping her airborne and knocking the wind out of her lungs with audible wheezes, before dashing away and zipping behind her with a shoulder charge, sending her tumbling towards the buried Candice like a ragdoll with great force, before coming to a stop as she laid on her stomach in front of Candice, her consciousness fading.

"Looks like it's shaping up to be a wrap for you girls. And in record time too." Smirked Fasttrack with his arms crossed as he looked at Bambietta and Candice.

Candice's eyes and mouth would furrow and twist in fury over the repeated mockery made of her and her comrades, now cemented with Bambietta's defeat. Channeling her Reishi and causing it course through her and the crystal rubble, Candice would shoot up like a lighting bolt, blasting away the diamond shards and sand burying her, emerging from the debris with her powers flaring wildly.

"You'll pay for this, intruder! I won't let you humiliate us any further!" Shouted Candice as she landed on the ground in front of the destroyed rubble and the downed Bambietta, her voice full of anger and determination. She would then raise her hand, gathering a tremendous amount of Reishi, before firing it in the form of lighting bolts towards Fasttrack, who would effortlessly dodge her attacks, even as she was running then took to the air with a strong leap to both diversifying and continue her assault, creating a bewildering dance around her in a blur of motion.

Candice's frustration only grows as her attacks fail to land on the nimble Fasttrack. While in mid air, floating, she fires rapid, focused lighting bolts, trying to anticipate his movements, but he continually dodges with ease. The other Quincy girls look on, realizing that the intruder is a more formidable opponent than they made him out to be.

"This one's putting up quite a fight." Said Liltotto analytically.

"I'm not sure we can handle him alone." Admitted Giselle with a pout.

"Quit your whining. I'll handle this. No one takes me down and lives to brag about it." Said Bambietta with annoyance as she got up.

Fasttrack's movements are a blur of speed as he darts around the battlefield, staying just out of Candice's reach. He adds unpredictability to his maneuvers by running in zig-zags, creating afterimages that confuses his opponent in the process, causing Candice's frustration to intensify as she struggles to track his rapid movements. Her attempts to hit him with pinpoint accuracy become increasingly desperate.

"Hold still, you little pest!" Growled Candice.

"Gonna have to catch me first, sweetheart." Fasttrack's grin widens as he evades her attacks.

"You won't be fast enough to escape me for long. I'll catch you." Candice growled further with frustration and continues her futile attempts to catch Fasttrack with her attacks.

Fasttrack would begin running in a straight line, slightly decreasing his speed as well, giving Candice the impression that she can take a straight shot at him. However, just as she does, Fasttrack moves out of the way, with Candice's lighting bolt hitting Liltotto instead, and knocking her off her feet.

"Candice, watch your aim! Ugh, this is getting messy." Groaned Liltotto as she struggled to regain her footing. Candice's irritation grew further, causing her attacks to become less precise and more erratic, much to the chagrin of her Quincy comrades.

"Come on now..." Fasttrack teased as he stopped running, pointing at his chest. "You should be able to hit me this time...not!" His taunts coupled with his grin irked Candice's ire to no end.

"You're in for it now!" A lighting bolt would be shot at Fasttrack, who chose to remain standing still. As Candice's attack seeming hits him dead on, the familiar green flash would engulf his being once more, with the ensuing dust cloud covering his form.

"Sike!" Cackled a new voice playfully. The owner stepping out of the dispersing dust cloud, revealing itself to be Fasttrack's Nosedeenian transformation; "Buzzshock"

"What did you do?! I'm sure my attack hit you just now!" Shouted Candice with evident disbelief.

"It did." Giggled Buzzshock right before shooting a blast of green electricity at the dumbfounded Candice, electrocuting her and causing her to fall to the ground with a loud thud, smoke emanating from her body.

"And that's why you got hit just now." In the form of a bolt of lightning, Buzzshock would begin moving from side to side around Candice in a manner similar to teleportation as she gets up, cackling playfully each time.

Amdist her frustration, Candice would take aim, attempting to shoot at Buzzshock once more, but he would only keep evading with his lightning-fast movements.

"You don't look so good." Taunted Buzzshock as he appeared right in front of Candice, dissappearing in a bolt of lightning just as she attempted to strike him.

"If you wanna bail" Buzzshock would materialize behind her in mid air before dissappearing to avoid another blow from Candice. "You could try to fly up again." Standing on the ground behind Candice, Buzzshock would disappear again to avoid being kicked by her.

He would then appear from above Candice, floating upside down with his thumbs on both sides of his heads, his fingers wiggling and his tongue sticking out.

"Blblblblblb!" Taunted Buzzshock right before dispersing as electricity to avoid a lighting bolt from Candice, cackling playfully as he shot from side to side as a lighting bolt himself to avoid more attacks from the now airborne Candice who was tailing him.

"Ooooh, what are you planning to do?" Asked Buzzshock with childlike intrigue as upon floating several feet away from Candice, observed her furiously gather Reishi at a much greater rate than her previous instances.

"Die!" Shouted an enraged Candice as she shot a large lighting bolt at Buzzshock which constantly struck him upon hitting it's target. But to her surprise, Buzzshock would instinctively absorb it in it's entirety

"Oooohohohohoho, this stuff is great!" Shouted Buzzshock with childlike glee right before creating three clones of himself, each along with the original surrounding Candice in a circle.

"What's going on?!" Shouted a startled Candice.

All of them would begin laughing in unison in response as they simultaneously shot Candice with lighting bolts, the electric onslaught causing her to scream loudly in pain

"Ahhh! I won't be... so easily defeated!" In an act of retaliation Candice, despite still being repeatedly struck by the Buzzshocks, would send a wave of lighting around herself seeking to hit them all in on fell swoop. A tactic which would prove futile as all the Buzzshocks dispersed into electricity to avoid it before re-materializing.

"You sure..." Began the original Buzzshock as all his clones merged back into him, of which he zipped towards the ground and channeled inside it as electricity then shooting up from above Candice like a lighting bolt, launching her further up in the air. "About that?" Upon materializing behind her, would proceed to strike her like lightning from behind while she's still airborne, sending her crashing down to the ground.

"I won't... give up... so easily." Said Candice weakly, heavily injured and on her knees.

Grinning while still floating in the air, Buzzshock would notice a shadow cast over him, causing him to look up to see an airborne Meninas, right hand curled into a fist and reeled back for a punch.

"Take this!" Shouted Meninas as she swung her colossal fist toward Buzzshock with immense force, causing him to disperse as electricity once more coursing through the stunned Meninas, electrocuting her and rattling her nerves, then appearing behind her in a bright flash of green light as his Transylian transformation; "Frankenstrike"

Falling downward rapidly, Frankenstrike, with both hands held high up, would land a electrical charged, double hammer-fist on Meninas that sent her plummeting to the ground, landing with a heavy thud.

"You... won't... get away..." Groaned Meninas in pain.

As Frankenstrike lands on the ground, he raises his fists, his entire body surging with green electrical energy. The air around him crackles and sparks, creating an aura of power that can be felt even from a distance. He stands ready, prepared for the oncoming battle against Meninas.

And prepared he was, with Frankenstrike showcased remarkable agility and evasive maneuvers, swiftly dodging Meninas's punches and ducking under her attacks. Then, with precise timing, he landed a powerful electric punch to her liver, delivering a shock of electricity that sends her staggering back in pain.

Meninas recoils from the electric punch to her liver, pain coursing through her body. She winces and grunts but remains determined to continue the fight.

"Not... giving up that easily." She steadies herself, taking deep breaths to endure the pain, lunging to launch another assault on Frankenstrike.

In retaliation, Frankenstrike would throw a electric punch aimed at Meninas's gut, causing her to gasp and stumbles back with it landing, and then a clothesline connects with her face, sending her sprawling to the ground. Her resolve remains, but the pain and exhaustion are starting to take a toll on her.

"I won't... be defeated so easily!" Groaned Meninas weakly, struggling to get up

Frankenstrike, with electricity crackling from his outstretched hand, prepared to deliver the finishing blow to the struggling Meninas. But before he could unleash the electric blast, a sudden burst of intense heat washed over him. A blast of fire, glowing bright orange and white, narrowly misses him, causing the ground to smolder in its wake. Frankenstrike turns to see the source of this fiery assault.

Soaring through the skies with his Volstandig; "Piskiel" activated is Quilge Opie, and the person he's carrying by the back of their collar is Bazz-B.

"It's time, Bazz-B. Show them the true power of our Quincy abilities." Said Quilge authoritatively.

"You got it, Quilge!" Shouted Bazz-B enthusiastically in response.

Bazz-B points his hand forward, flames roaring from his fingertip, unleashing his powerful Burning Finger 1 technique through his right index finger. A scorching beam of flame hurtles towards Frankenstrike, trailing molten embers and searing heat.

"Whoa! This just got a lot hotter!" Shouted Frankenstrike, struggling against the fiery assault.

Frankenstrike, despite being caught off guard, reacted just in time, deflecting the flames using his electric powers, creating an explosive clash of elements – fire and electricity – resulting in a chaotic burst of smoke and sparks.

"That was close." Said Frankenstrike with a sense of relief, surrounded by the aftermath of the elemental clash. Suddenly, another beam of flames would erupt in front of him, the force of the impact sending Frankenstrike reeling back, with the snowy ground beneath him melted, scorched and smoldering from the intense heat.

"Time to switch things up." Said Frankenstrike, regaining his composure.

Quilge Opie, still hovering in his angelic Volstandig form, and Bazz-B maintain their menacing presence, ready to continue the confrontation, while Frankenstrike stands his ground, visibly stunned but undeterred by the sudden arrival of his new adversaries.

With the familiar flash of green light, Frankenstrike would become his Vulpimancer transformation; "Wildmutt"

"RRRRRAAAWWWWGHHHH!" Wildmutt, the fierce and animalistic Vulpimancer, stood tall on all fours with a resounding roar, his posture low and ready to spring into action. His distinctive growl filled the tense air as his three gill-like nostrils on both sides of his neck scanned his surroundings for any further threats.

"Grrr!" Snarled Wildmutt, fixated on Quilge Opie and Bazz-B, both primed for another attack for another attack, while Meninas lay on the ground, stunned from the recent electric assault.

"Grrrrrrrrr!" Snarled Wildmutt with even more ferocity before proceeding to run across the battlefield to avoid Bazz-B's repeated flame attack. Wildmutt's movements are initially chaotic, appearing as if he's running aimlessly, but in reality, his unpredictable path concealed a hidden plan as he continued to skillfully dodge Bazz-B's attacks.

"What's that creature up to?" Said Quilge with a mixture of curiosity and caution, taking note of Wildmutt's actions.

"Quit running, you mangy mutt! Stay still!" Shouted Bazz-B, going frustrated as he continued shooting flames from the sky air Wildmutt.

Wildmutt's agility and evasiveness would become a crucial part of his strategy, continuing to maneuver through the battlefield with determination.

Wildmutt's continuous agile maneuvers would lead him to scale the gigantic crystal arm he summoned earlier as Diamondhead.

"Gotcha!" Shouted Bazz-B as he shot another blast of fire at Wildmutt, this one set to hit him dead on. However, with the familiar green flash of light, he jumped out of the smoke that ensued, transformed into his Orthopterran form; "Crashhopper"

"Looks like it's time for a real crash landing!" Said Crashhopper excitedly with a grin, rapidly heading towards the bewildered Quilge and Bazz-B. Despite their initial surprise, Quilge would fly out of the way, causing Crashhopper to further ascend high up into the sky without hitting his targets.

"Woooohoooohoooohooo!" Shouted Crashhopper ecstatically with his arms outstretched and back to the ground. Once his ascent stopped, he turned upside down, now properly facing the ground with a toothy grin.

With the green flash of light, he became his Arburian Peralota transformation; "Cannonbolt"

"Time to roll with the big shots!" Shouted Cannonbolt with determination as he plummeted towards Quilge and Bazz-B with his arms outstretched his sturdy promising a forceful impact.

Though Quilge would fly out of the way, he would leave Bazz-B to his own devices, who with grabbed by Cannonbolt to grab him who Cannonbolt's quick reflexes allowed him to grab he hurtled through the air. Without hesitation, he immediately curled into his ball form, plummeted towards the ground like a meteor, and the ensuing impact with the ground creating a colossal shockwave that sends a cloud of snow, mist and dust billowing into the air, leaving chaos in its wake.

Upon uncurling from his ball form, Cannonbolt would throw he disoriented Bazz-B away before transforming into his Thep Khufan transformation; "Snare-Oh"

"Get over here!" Shouted Snare-Oh playfully as he ensnared Bazz-B with his bandages and reeling Bazz-B towards him of which upon becoming his Appolplexian transformation; "Rath", grabs him by the face and slams him down to the ground with immense force, letting out a fierce growl as a resounding impact echoes across the terrain.

"Lemme tell ya something, white clad bozos with strange powers who keep attacking Rath without even giving Rath a chance to explain himself, Rath is gonna"... As Rath rages with anger and continues to berate the Sternritters, he suddenly feels Bazz-B's grip on his arm growing uncomfortably hot, the intense heat searing through Rath's tough skin and causing him to wince in pain.

Through teeth gritted in pain, Rath repeatedly face slams Bazz-B, berating him as well. "Lemme tell ya something purple mohawk guy with fire powers, if you're gonna burn Rath, at least do it right, because if you burn just Rath's hand then you're just gonna make Rath mad!" The fiery Sternritter's face takes quite a beating. Despite the pain, Bazz-B's fiery determination doesn't waver, and his powers start to intensify as a fiery aura engulfs him, growing brighter and more intense with each slam, much to Rath's chagrin.

"You asked for it!" Shouted Rath as he grabbed Bazz-B by the leg, then proceeding to slam Bazz-B side to side like a ragdoll repeatedly. Rath continues to brutally slam Bazz-B back and forth, his fury and strength evident in the relentless assault. Bazz-B's fiery aura grows even brighter as he endures the onslaught, and his determination remains unshaken.

But that unwavering determination seemingly couldn't do much in the face of Rath's immense strength, as he begun twirling Bazz-B around while spinning himself before throwing him towards the airborne Quilge, who barely manage to evade the incoming Bazz-B by flying out of the way, causing Bazz-B to crash into the ground, disoriented with a heavy thud, kicking up a large cloud of dust in the process. But still Bazz-B remained conscious, his fiery power continuing to burn brightly.

With a mighty leap, Rath would launch himself high up into the air, hovering above and descending towards Quilge, about to knock him out of the air with a double hammer-fist strike, only to be pelted by a series of missiles that sends him plummeting to the ground, forming a large crater in the process. Groggily shaking his head from the ensuing disorientation as a result of the surprise attack, Rath looks up to see another new combatant airborne, levitating; BG9.

BG9 loomed overhead, it's countenance cold and mechanical, and it's missile launchers primed to unleash another barrage towards it's alien opponent.

"Your interference ends here, intruder." Said BG9 in a mechanical voice as it shot at Rath, causing the latter to perform a backflip out of the crater to avoid the first barrage, landing on all fours outside the crater as well. To avoid the second, continuous barrage, Rath began running in a zig zag manner, explosions trailing behind him with every step he took, before running on all fours around the still airborne BG9, forming a ring of explosions and large clouds of smoke in the process, masking Rath's presence.

A large boulder would be thrown towards BG9 from behind, with the robotic Sternritter turning back to destroy it with a single missile, the diversion Rath needed to jump out of a puff of smoke into the air once more towards BG9, whose back was turned to him.

Like a predator about to pounce on it's prey, Rath had his claws and teeth primed to sink into BG9, but would find himself struck across the face by a shoulder tackle.

The culprit? Cang Du.

"You're not going any further, intruder." Said Cang Du stoically with a hint of confidence as he watched from above the ground levitating beside BG9 Rath about to get up, of which he would appear directly behind the Appolplexian in a blur, grabbing him by the leg and slamming him hard into to the ground.

An attack Cang Du would execute each time Rath tried to resist or break free.

Of which he did again.

And again.

And again.

And again.

And again.

Once he sensed no further resistance from Rath, Cang Du held up the seemingly defeated Appolplexian upside down, only for the latter through teeth gritted in rage to swing his head upward for a headbutt, eliciting a grunt of pain from Cang Du as he releases Rath to land on all fours.

As he watched Cang Du stumble back slightly, Rath ran behind him, hooked his hands under his and held him up high off the ground.

"Ophiuchus Suplex!" Shouted Rath as he slammed Cang Du hard into the ground with a powerful suplex, eliciting a cough from Cang Du as he was disoriented and struggled to get up.

Not letting up, Rath would grab Cang Du by the back of his shirt, before throwing him high up into the air, meeting his altitude with another mighty leap.

"Incursean Ambassador!" Shouted Rath as he struck Cang Du across the face with a powerful left cross, sending him flying through the air, his body spinning like a ragdoll before crashing into the ground with a mini crater forming.

As Rath lands back on the ground with a thud, his ear perches up as he hears more of BG9's missiles heading towards him from behind about to make a direct hit, of which Rath doesn't move out of the way and seemingly lets them hit him dead on.

With the familiar bright flash of green light illuminating the smoke cloud from some of the missiles that struck the ground Rath was standing on, levitating above said ground was his his Biot- Savaritan transformation; "Lodestar", using his electro magnetic powers to stop the remaining missiles mid air.

With his missile attack thwarted, BG9 levitates with it's left arm transformed into a large, ten-barreled mini-gun at the ready, observing Lodestar's actions.

"Not going to work." Said Lodestar upon noticing his mini-gun, proceeding to use his abilities to make BG9 unable to move then send the missiles he stopped towards BG9.

As the missiles approach, BG9 finds itself struggling against Lodestar's magnetic hold. "Intriguing." It says nonchalantly as the missiles detonate, creating a massive explosion, of which more of BG9's robot-like appearance is revealed, with it being mostly unharmed.

"Could kinda tell you were a robot the moment I became Lodestar." Said Lodestar, his tone unsurprised. Upon noticing Cang Du gearing up to attack him from behind, Lodestar throws the still magnetized BG9 towards Cang Du.

As it's plummeting towards his Sternritter comrade, BG9 extends a series of tendrils from his exposed chest, wrapping around Lodestar's right arm and by proxy halting his own descent.

"Do you think mere magnetism will be enough to best us?" Taunted BG9.

"Just you? Sure. But for you and your friend?" With the familiar green flash engulfing him, Lodestar's new transformation would plummet to the ground, causing a mini tremor upon landing, his form that of his Galilean transformation; "Gravattack"

"A little Gravity manipulation should do the trick." With both his now free right hand and left hand outstretched, a green aura coated both and following suit both Cang Du and BG9 would find themselves being rendered weightless, suspended in mid air and unable to move.

"This is infuriating!" Shouted Cang Du, struggling against the weightlessness.

"We shall find a way to resist this." Said BG9 equally struggling, it's usual detached, mechanical tone sporting an undertone of urgency.

"Going up!" Grinned Gravattack as he sent them higher up into the air. "Going down!" Like meteorites, they plummeted down to the ground. A pattern of attack that he took great pleasure in repeating.

"Going up!"

"Going down!"

"Going up!"

"Going down!"

"Going up!"

"Going down!"

"Going up!"

"Going down!"

"Going up!"

"Going down!"

"You'll regret this, alien!" Yelled Cang Du in frustration amidst his thrashing.

"This grows intolerable." Said BG9, also becoming equally frustrated.

"Oh, this is too much fun!" Said Gravattack gleefully as he continued toying with them.

"Now then, let's go for a little spin." Grinned Gravattack as he used his powers to make them spin around each other like a tornado growing in intensity with each passing moment.

"You...meddling...creature!" Stuttered Cang Du as he begun to feel dizzy and disoriented.

"Stop this madness!" Shouted BG9 frustrated and struggling to break free.

"Now where's the fun in that?" Asked Gravattack teasingly, not letting up.

"Ugh...Nghhh...You'll...you'll...regret this!" Stuttered Cang Du, dizzier than before.

"Release us at once!" Shouted BG9, still struggling.

Though his primary focus was on Cang Du and BG9, Gravattack could sense that there was another set of individuals present. His Intuition would prove astute as upon turning back causing Cang Du and BG9 to float in front of him, both would be hit by distinct attacks; BG9 was hit by a high intensity ball of flames and Cang Du green, reishi bullets.

"Unpredicted variables detected... Critical damage... System instability..." Spoke BG9 analytically, it's tone somewhat distressed as it was sizzling with a few of it's parts falling off.

Cang Du fared no better, severely injured with blood dripping from his biceps and forearms, along with trickling down his cheek and staining his chest.

"I'll have my vengeance... one way or another..." Said Cang Du defiantly amidst his pain.

Gravattack's eyes narrowed as he looked at the two Sternritters who tried to attack him but instead hit their comrades.

Bazz-B, who both his left index and middle finger was outstretched, indicating that he used '"Burning Finger 2" to hit BG9.

And a new accomplice, Robert Accutrone, who had two pistols in both hands, slight smoke coming out from the muzzles of both, indicating that he's the one who shot Cang Du.

"Guessing you guys couldn't wait your turn for the ride, huh?" Taunted Gravattack.

"You don't get it, freak... I got no time for games." Said Bazz-B through teeth gritted I. rage and pain due to still recovering from Rath's flurry of attacks.

"You've interfered in our affairs long enough." Said Robert in a refined, formal tone as he pointed his right pistol at Gravattack.

"The game's just getting started dude. Here's the opening act!" Smirked Gravattack right before sending the still floating BG9 and Cang Du towards them.

BG9 and Cang skid and tumble alongside Bazz-B and Robert as the latter two were taken aback by the form two crashing into them. As they came to a stop, groans of pain and frustration escaped them, causing Gravattack's grin to widen in triumph.

"And now for the main e..." Suddenly, a sizable chunk of Gravattack's right shoulder would be blown off.

"Ow!" Shouted Gravattack as he clenched his right shoulder in pain. "What the heck was that?!" He asked to no one in particular.

The one responsible stood atop a deserted building far from Gravattack, a new combatant in this ever expanding battlefield; Lille Baro.

"You should be more careful with your aimless spinning. Such carelessness." Said Lille Baro calmly as he aimed his sniper rifle at Gravattack.

"Anyone else trying to shoot me?" Asked Gravattack upon detecting Lille Barro's presence, slightly agitated.

As Gravattack stands defensively on the battlefield, he would find himself completely taken aback as he was subjected to one of the abilities within his arsenal; weightlessness.

"Wooahhhh!" Gravattack flailed his arms in the air in shock as he floated higher up the ground before coming to a sudden stop at a particularly high altitude.

"What in the..." Gravattack would cut himself off, his eyes narrowing as they fell on another new combatant, and the one responsible for his current predicament; Gremmy Thoumeaux.

Standing on the ground with a mischievous smile, hands in his pockets, Gremmy exclaims, "How about we take the weight off your shoulders?" As he speaks, Gravattack begins to float upward, his body becoming as light as a feather as he edged ever so closely to the clouds.

"You see, in my mind, I can make anything happen. Doesn't matter what abilities you have at your disposal, they're no match for my visions!" Shouted Gremmy with a mixture of enthusiasm and confidence.

"This could be a problem." Admitted Gravattack with a hint of anxiety.

"What's the matter, shape-shifter? Feeling a bit weightless up there? Don't worry, I'll make sure you float all the way up to the heavens." Taunted Gremmy with a smirking.

"Although, if it's just making me weightless you're thinking of doing..." Began Gravattack with a smirk before using his powers to increase his own weight exponentially, making him plummet to the ground and land with a heavy thud, causing a medium sized tremor in the process.

"...It's not gonna cut it."

Gremmy looked at Gravattack with intrigue from both his response and his landing, before grinning as he says, "Oh, you can control your own weight too? That's rather fascinating. But let's see how you handle this!" Suddenly, an enormous gravity field coated in a blue aura would form around Gravattack, attempting to crush him with it's immense pressure, of which Galilean would smile even as he felt it's effects.

"Gravity against gravity, huh? Let's do it!" Suddenly, the ground beneath Gremmy would begin to crack as Gravattack increased his weight as well.

Gravattack and Gremmy would engage in a battle of gravity manipulation, both increasing each other's weight exponentially in an attempt to gain the upper hand. The ground beneath them cracked and crumbled further from the immense force, causing wide scale shockwaves to ripple through the battlefield, threatening to bury anyone unfortunate enough to be within close proximity under the earth itself.

"Looks like we're at a stalemate." Gravattack's smile would only widen despite the pressure he was also placed under.

"That's right. But I won't stop here. I'll make my imagination reality, and then you'll see the true extent of my power." Said Gremmy with a calm yet determined expression as he continued to exert his will in this gravity battle, attempting to tip the scales in his favor.

The gravity showdown would grow further in intensity as a mini tornado formed around both opponents, howling wildly as it sucked in a plethora of debris and shattered concrete.

"I think it'd be best if we got a tiebreaker before that happens, and what would you know..." Chucked Gravattack as he jumped back to avoid a punch that caused the already crumbling ground he stood on to completely give way, with both Gravattack and Gremmy standing at the respective edges of the recently formed, massive craters.

"...We just got it!" Standing inside the crater was another new challenger; Mask De Masculine.

Mask De Masculine blinked, slightly surprised by Gravattack's evasive maneuver. "Oh-ho, it seems the gravity guy has some moves! You dodged the spotlight, but can you avoid this?!" Like an ignited firework, Mask De Masculine would jump out of the crater, hovering briefly above Gravattack before plummeting towards him with a frog splash.

With a smirk accompanied by the green flash, Gravattack would assume his Necrofriggian form; "Big Chill", becoming intangible and thus allowing Mask De Masculine to pass through him as his frog splash caused a mighty tremor. Upon getting up to notice that his opponent wasn't flattened on the ground beneath him, both of Mask De Masculine's arms would suddenly be frozen solid.

"Don't have to dodge it if I can just phase through it." Said Big Chill slyly as he became intangible behind Mask De Masculine, his wings unfolded and thus flying above him.

"N-No! My arm! Curse you! You'll pay for this!" Shouted Mask De Masculine with a mixture of surprise and anger as he inspected his frozen arms.

"Don't be a baby, big guy." Taunted Big Chill. "Chill out for a second. Like this." With a deep breath exhaled into a gust of ice breath, Big Chill would begin to freeze Mask De Masculine from his legs to his head.

As the ice begun to travel all the way up to his neck, Mask De Masculine begins to visibly struggle to break free. "I am the 'Superstar' Mask De Masculine. I am invincible! I won't be defeated like this!"

With a roar accompanied by him flexing his muscles, Mask De Masculine shatters the ice "I won't let you humiliate me!"

"I'm pretty sure you're already doing that yourself with that underwear mask you got on your head." Taunted Big Chill with a slight grin.

"It's not underwear!" Shouted Mask De Masculine defensively as he put his hands on his mask. "It's my sacred mask..." With a single bound, he met Big Chill's altitude in the air. "...And it gives me... strength!" He attempts a mid air superman punch with his right, only for Big Chill to turn intangible, causing Mask De Masculine's fist to pass right through him.

"Uh huh, keep telling yourself that." Said Big Chill sarcastically with his hands crossed and tangible as he observed Mask De Masculine, now on the ground with his right hand frozen in ice.

"You'll pay for mocking me!" Shouted Mask De Masculine with fury as he effortlessly shattered the ice encasing his right hand by clenching it more tightly.

"How about I kick things up a no..." Began Big Chill in a playful tone, cutting himself off upon being hit by a blue reishi thorn on the left side of his chest.

"Fear... it is your most primal emotion. And you shall succumb to it. The Thorns of Compunction shall pierce your soul and fill you with dread. I shall show you the true meaning of terror." Said a new voice, it's tone cold and ominous, belonging to a new participant in this most chaotic battle; As Nodt.

As the thorn disperses, Big Chill falls to the ground face first, rising to his knees with his eyes wide open, their gaze dejected and haunted as he looks on helplessly into the distance.

"Haa...Haa...Haa...Haa...Haa..." Big Chill begins breathing heavily, panicking as the world around begins to twist and change, taking on the form of what could only be described as a nightmare.

In this nightmare realm crafted from his ongoing hallucinations, the world around Big Chill distorts and contorts, morphing into grotesque shapes and nightmarish landscapes. The air becomes thick with an ominous tension as shadows dance eerily around him. Whispers of haunting voices fill the air, echoing his fears and insecurities.

"Unworthy!"

"Undeserving!"

"Dissapointment!"

"You've failed them!"

"Inadequate!"

"Pathetic!"

"Worthless!"

"Abandoned!"

"Weak!"

"You never should have found it!"

The haunting echoes continue, intertwining with chilling phrases that cut through his resolve.

As Big Chill gazed further into the distance, the landscape shifts into a surreal tableau of his deepest fears brought to life. The air is heavy with a chilling aura, amplifying the unsettling atmosphere of the hallucination as sprawled across him in the masses are corpses of the very people he swore to protect and cared deeply for. Immediately standing out to him amongst the deceased crowd were the following individuals;

His Grandpa Max's right side is crushed underneath a heap of rubble, or rather what's left of it as his torn right hand rests on the very rubble crushing him, a silent testament to his inability to protect even the closest members of his family. His parents, Carl and Sandra, are smeared with both their blood and their enthralls, a stark reflection of the guilt he carries for being unable to shield them from harm.

His cousin Gwen's face is a disconcerting blend of her Anodite and human forms, with her lower body ripped apart and placed beside her upper body, embodying the deeply rooted internal conflict he feels about the dangers that can befall her as a result of her true nature. The corpses of his best friends, Kevin and Rook, accentuate the tragedy. Kevin, his corpse resembling a husk drained of all life impaled from behind by a spear-like weapon, a victim of vengeance, while Rook bears the marks of destruction caused by his own Proto-Tech.

Amidst the carnage, familiar adversaries stand as harbingers of doom; Vilgax with his claws stained in the blood of both his parents and grandfather. Aggregor with his knee on the back of Kevin's corpse. Maltruant with his right hand bonded with whatever salvageable scrap of Rook's Proto-Tech remained and Dagon with his true form floating in the sky, their menacing presence amplifying the weight of Big Chill's fears and perceived inadequacies. The surreal hell-scape serves as a chilling tableau, a manifestation of the haunting whispers that have echoed in his mind.

"Your fault!"

"This is your fault!"

"You couldn't save them!"

"The hero who let everyone down!"

"Grandpa Max believed in you, and look what happened."

"Your choices led to their demise."

"Even Vilgax pities the pathetic savior you've become."

"The Omnitrix, a tool of destruction in your hands."

"Your best efforts, futile against the true forces that matter."

"You carry the weight of their deaths, the burden of a failed protector."

"No... This can't be happening... They're all gone, because of me... I couldn't protect them... I couldn't... Why?!" Trembled Big Chill with fear, consumed by the horrifying visions, feeling helpless and filled with an overwhelming sense of guilt and despair as the hallucinations continued to torment him.

"Fear, the most primal and crippling of emotions, wraps you in its embrace. Surrender to it, for there is no escape. Your darkest nightmares, your deepest terrors... they are my power, your impending doom. Relish your torment, for it is the last you shall know." Said As Nodt with a lack of emotion but rather cruelty in spades.

"Pathetic!" Laughed a new voice in a condescending tone as it's owner walked up to Big Chill until he stood right beside him; Driscoll Berci.

With a sharp but loud battle cry, Driscoll drove his knee into Big Chill's face, sending him sprawling towards another newcomer, who swung his shield with tremendous force, making contact with Big Chill and sending him tumbling through the grounds helplessly.

"You're just a plaything for us, intruder." Grinned newcomer; Gerrard Valkyrie.

"I've faced far worse than this. You won't break me that easily." Said Big Chill resolutely despite his trembling and overwhelming fear, forcing himself to get up, determined to fight through the fear that As Nodt's thorns had induced.

As Big Chill's resolute words cut through the nightmarish whispers, the hallucination begins to fracture like a shattered mirror. The ghastly tableau of despair fades, replaced by swirling fragments of distorted memories. The haunting voices lose their clarity, drowned out by the echoing determination in Big Chill's mind.

The corpses and twisted figures dissolve into mist, dissipating into the surreal landscape. The once-chilling aura loses its grip, replaced by a faint warmth that signifies the returning grasp of reality. The faces of his loved ones shift from distorted horrors to familiar smiles, as if mending the shattered pieces of his deepest fears.

Despite the lingering tremors of fear, Big Chill stands tall, his defiant will pushing back against the tendrils of the Thorn of Compunction. The nightmare, once all-encompassing, retreats like a defeated specter, leaving him in the midst of a dissipating storm of haunting illusions.

"Such futile resistance. Fear is a powerful weapon, and you're merely human. But I will make you succumb." Said As Nodt coldly.

"No...you... won't!" Shouted Big Chill, further resisting the crippling fear that gripped him before being engulfed by the green flash, becoming his Opticoid form; "Eye Guy"

With his determination palpable, Eye Guy shot green energy blasts from his eyes towards Driscoll, Gerrard and As Nodt, of which all three reacted with a mix of surprise and annoyance to Eye Guy's sudden attack. Driscoll narrowly managed to dodge the blasts with a series of nimble side steps, ducks and weaves despite his bulky frame Gerrard raised his shield to block the incoming energy projectiles, and As Nodt uses his thorny vines to deflect the blasts away. Each of them maintained their composure despite the surprise attack remaining focused on their target.

"Nice try, kid." Grinned Driscoll.

"Not so fast!" Shouted Gerrard with his shield raised.

"You won't break through that easily." Said As Nodt calmly.

"Eye beg to differ!" Shouted Eye Guy with determination as he formed a gigantic eye from his chest, shooting a large energy beam from it towards the three of them.

"What in...?" Uttered Driscoll in shock right before Gerrard stepped in front of him and As Nodt to block the attack with his shield.

"This is stronger than I thought!" Grunted Gerrard with frustration as he struggled to continue holding up his shield against the powerful energy beam.

"Impressive, but you won't defeat me that easily." Said As Nodt calmly, despite feeling a hint of pressure from the scenario.

With his large eye blast still ongoing, Eye Guy would shoot a series of blasts from the eyes on both arms, causing his three opponents to dodge, block, or counter his energy blasts, the battle intensifying as energy and power clash in the grounds of Silbern, Driscoll, Gerrard, and As Nodt fight fiercely to withstand Eye Guy's relentless assault.

With his initial large eye blast stopping, Eye Guy gears up tob unleash a fully charged blast from his gigantic eye on his three opponents, but an energy blast from another newcomer strikes him unsuspectingly on the back, sending him tumbling across the ground.

As he gets up groggily he sees to his surprise seemingly two versions of himself but in reality are Loyd Lloyd and Royd Lloyd.

"What are you...How are you both..." Began Eye Guy with a mixture of shock and awe.

Loyd Lloyd remains silent whereas Royd Lloyd says the following with a smug tone. "It doesn't matter if you understand what's going on or not, what matters is that you won't live to see the end of today." Both Lloyd's began charging up an energy blast to unleash from their gigantic eyes.

"Not the chatty type huh? Works for me." Said Eye Guy with cautious acknowledgment to Loyd Lloyd. "That right? We'll see about that now won't we?" Said Eye Guy with a defiant grin to Royd Lloyd, charging up his own gigantic eye blast even before they begun charging up theirs, with all three meeting each other in a three way energy blast struggle.

Despite being outnumbered, Eye Guy was far from outmatched as he was holding his own quite admirably in this energy blast tug of war against the Lloyd twins, but he was aware that he would eventually be overpowered should this continue and already begun devising a new strategy.

But before he could even act on it a new opponent, Jerome Guizbatt, would prove to be quite the overwhelming force. Jerome, in his enlarged and ape-like form, released a bone-shattering roar that reverberates through the battlefield, with the ensuing sound-based shockwave he produced being incredibly powerful.

"Gahhhhhh!" Shouted Eye Guy as his body shook under the force of the roar, causing the energy blasts from the Lloyd twins to hit him dead on as he stopped his own energy blast, blowing him away alongside the shockwave that collided with him, causing him to tumble painfully across the ground. Despite his best efforts, the sheer strength of Jerome's abilities leaves Eye Guy struggling to regain his footing, made doubly worse by him still recovering from the energy blasts he was struck with by both Lloyd twins.

Jerome would continue his assault without uttering a word, relentless in his merciless attack. His overwhelming power posed a significant challenge for Eye Guy, who had find a way to overcome this ever expanding roster of formidable opponents, lest a most unsavory outcome would occur.

With him still covering his ears in pain while on his knees, Eye Guy would engulfed by the green flash, becoming his Prypiatosian-B form; "NRG". Upon standing on his feet, from the spaces on his armor faceplate, NRG would fire a radiation blast at Jerome, the blast colliding with Jerome's shockwave, creating a powerful clash of energies. The air around them crackled with the intensity of their confrontation. Despite the tremendous force of Jerome's abilities, NRG's radiation blast holds its own, pushing back against the shockwave.

Jerome's feral form stands firm, roaring with fury, but the determined NRG gradually gains the upper hand. The radiation blast intensifies, pushing forward and causing Jerome to stagger backward, his immense size no longer an insurmountable obstacle. NRG's attack forces Jerome to step back, creating an opportunity for NRG to press his advantage.

With his hands heating up, NRG would clap them together and fall on his left knee as he placed them on the ground, causing lava to erupt from it, forming a blazing tide of molten rock surging toward Jerome. His massive form is engulfed in the searing heat and fiery deluge, causing him to bellow in agony.

Jerome's immense size diminishes rapidly as the scorching lava engulfs him, causing him to revert to his regular form. As the lava cools around him, encasing him in a solidified shell, NRG stands triumphant, with him seemingly emerging as the victor.

Choosing however not to bask in his victory as the battle was far from over, NRG turned his attention to the approaching Gerrard and Driscoll and with the green flash, becomes his Tetramand form; "Four Arms"

"Who's next?" Asked Four Arms confidently as he cracked his knuckles and took a step forward. Not allowing his three opponents to immediately respond, Four Arms would clap all four of hands together, creating a massive thunderclap shockwave that sends Gerrard and Driscoll flying back.

"That power... it'd be a handful to handle head-on." Chuckled Gerrard as he stabbed his sword to the ground to stop being sent flying back further.

"We'll need to think of a different approach to deal with this one." Said Driscoll in acknowledgement as he began regaining his composure.

"Looks like the battle is getting interesting." Said As Nodt as he stood straight, his usual cold and detached tone sporting a hint of amusement in it.

Four Arms eyes would begin to wander as he spotted more of his previous opponents begin to group around him, with the likes of Liltotto, Giselle, Cang Du, BG9, Robert, Gremmy and Jerome being present.

"Come get some. I'll beat you all with three hands tied behind my back!" Taunted Four Arms defiantly as he put his lower left, lower and upper right arms behind his back, using his upper left to make a gesture to them to attack him.

"Let's see what our collective strength can do against your might." Beamed Gremmy with a sinister grin.

"Time to show this fool the true power of 'The Roar'." Muttered Jerome under his breath.

With a grin, Four Arms would leap high up into the air, from their view high enough to touch the clouds, and then proceed to plummet rapidly towards the ground, all four hands raised up in order to be brought down for a powerful ground slam.

Just as he unleashed an echoing battlecry, bracing himself for impact, Four Arms would find himself blasted out of the sky by a ball of flames. Upon falling down hard on his back, Four Arms would look up to see Bazz-B and Lille Baro standing beside one another with another newcomer standing in front of them; Jugram Haschwalth.

"How's this for a warm welcome?" Grinned Bazz-B with his left index, middle and ring finger outstretched, indicating that he used "Burning Finger 3" to hit Four Arms.

"Efficiency is paramount." Said Jugram in a calm and collected tone.

Four Arms groaned in pain as he struggles to get up, some visible scorch marks on his near impervious upper body. "What's up with the sudden power buff? Your attack's even stronger than when you hit me with it last time."

"The power of the Sternritter is more than you could ever imagine. You could say it's a never-ending source of heat and brilliance." Said Bazz-B

"You shouldn't be surprised. Our strength has always been something to reckon with." Said Lille Baro, maintaining his nonchalant tone.

"We adapt and evolve as necessary." Said Jugram, maintaining his calm tone.

A chuckle would escape Four Arms' lips as he stood on his feet "So in essence, you got a few more tricks up your sleeve? Well then...so do..." Four Arms would find himself interrupted by a brutal face slam from Jerome in his ape form, who would then begin to pummel him mercilessly while roaring, eliciting grunts of pain from Four Arms right before he would find himself thrown to the sky.

"Let's make it hotter than hell for him!" Shouted Bazz-B confidently as his three outstretched fingers were coated in flames. With a nod in approval, Lille Baro would take aim at the airborne Four Arms, with both of their attacks hitting him; Bazz-B's "Burning Finger 3" hitting Four Arms across the chest and Lille Barro's spatial piercing blast blowing off a sizable chunk of his upper right shoulder, causing a yell of agony to escape the Tetramand's lips.

Agony that would only grow as two previous combatants entered the fray ecstatically.

"Don't forget about us!" Shouted Bambietta.

"Yeah, we're here too!" Shouted Candice, both eager to take some duly awaited payback on their shape-shifting adversary, with Bambietta unleashing a flurry of reishi explosion blasts that propelled him further to the air, and Candice striking him with reishi lighting blasts that halted his ascent.

Before Four Arms would begin falling back down to the ground, his eyes would widen as hovering above him were Meninas, Gerrard and Mask De Masculine.

"Remember me?" Asked Meninas rhetorically with a hinting of amusement.

"And me." Grinned Gerrard.

"And Meeeee!" Shouted Mask De Masculine enthusiastically right before all three would strike Four Arms with powerful blows; Meninas with a double knee drop to his ribs, Gerrard with a punch to the left side of his face with his shield, and Mask De Masculine with a clothesline to the right side of his face, all three attacks sending Four Arms plummeting down to the ground in an instant, a large cloud of dust and debris kicking up in the process as a result of the ensuing massive shockwave.

As the dust cloud clears, Four Arms can be seen inside a massive crate, which he lays groggily in pain with his hands outstretched, blood dripping down from the shoulder shot by Lille Baro. Looking down on him from above the crater is all the opponents whom he fought previously;

Bambietta, Candice, Meninas, Giselle, Liltotto, Cang Du, BG9, Bazz-B, As Nodt, Quilge, Gerrard, Driscoll, Mask De Masculine, Robert, Loyd, Royd, Gremmy, Lille Baro, Jugram.

Amongst them are another set of newcomers that just made themselves present such as Askin Nakk Le Varr, Berenice Gabrielli, NaNaNa Najahkoop, Nianzol Weizol, Pernida Parnkgjas and PePe Waccabrada, meaning that the total number of the 18 individuals he faced in battle was 25, with all 25 currently present on the battlefield and surrounding him.

"Fear is such a powerful weapon, and it's not exclusive to the Shinigami. We bring it to all who oppose us." As Nodt spoke first, his usual cold and detached tone harboring a hint of confidence.

"I didn't even need to imagine anything to win this one. Just the power of numbers." Shrugged Gremmy casually.

"May your soul find its place in the afterlife." Said Lille Baro quietly, his sniper rifle still aimed at Four Arms.

"Is there anyone else who wants a taste of my flames?" Grinned Bazz-B.

"And they call us the weakest Sternritters. Look at that, boys, Sternritter B certainly knows how to finish a fight." Laughed Bambietta.

"This should show all who dare challenge us that there is no hope of victory." Nodded Cang Du in approval.

"Pretty unfortunate for the four-armed fool. But, as they say, too many cooks spoil the broth. Or in this case, Sternritters." Snickered Askin.

"It appears I've underestimated the power of a Sternritter." Said Gerrard with a raised eyebrow and a smile.

"The bigger they are, the harder they fall!" Laughed Driscoll heartily.

"Another victory for the mighty Sternritters! Bow before our power!" Shouted Mask De Masculine as he pumped his fist triumphantly.

"I knew we had it in us all along." Giggled Giselle.

"Hmm, it looks like he's not getting up from that one." Said NaNaNa as he scratched the back of his head.

"Well, I suppose it's over. A shame, really. I was hoping to get in on the fun.." Shrugged Nianzol.

Pernida would remain silent as it usually did, observing the defeated Four Arms intently.

Four Arms would attempt to get up but would find himself falling on one knee due to his injury. Suddenly, with Gremmy's usage of his abilities, the crater he was inside would be restored back to it's original form of the ground floor of equal height and footing as the one all the Sternritters are standing on, making Four Arms kneel directly in front of all the Sternritters circling him.

"Back on your knees where you belong." Smirked Bambietta.

"Your fear has brought you to your knees, and that's where you'll stay." Said As Nodt sinisterly.

"Oh, look, he's begging for mercy now!" Chuckled Gerrard.

"You should've quit while you had the chance." Said Driscoll as he pointed and laughed at Four Arms.

"I have vanquished him, and his defeat adds to my strength!" Shouted Mask De Masculine as he struck a pose.

"How embarrassing. What a pitiful end." Snickered PePe.

"Aw, what's the matter, big guy? Can't stand the heat?" Said Bazz-B sarcastically.

"How disappointing. I expected a bit more fight from him." Said Quilge indifferently.

Perninda would continue watching Four Arms intently, it's eyes pulsating subtly underneath it's cloak.

"That...Is that..." Stuttered Four Arms, his teeth gritted in determination. The green flash would engulf Four Arms, this time reverting him back to his human form.

The Sternritters watched Ben closely, their expressions a mix of curiosity and contempt.

"Well, look who's back to being a helpless human." Smirked Berenice.

"Isn't it adorable when they try to resist?" Giggled Giselle.

"Pathetic. You can't even stand on your own." Said Cang Du as he shook his head.

"Your resistance is futile. You're at our mercy now." Said BG9 coldly.

"It's almost sad how weak you are compared to us." Laughed Driscoll.

"Your struggle was in vain, boy." Taunted Gerrard.

"Such a delightful change of events." Said PePe amusedly.

"Did you think you could challenge us?" Asked Quilge with his eyes narrowed.

Amdist their taunts, Ben would manage to stand on both feet despite his fatigue as he held his right shoulder which though was no longer injured, still hurt somewhat. A gleam of mischief could be seen in his seemingly downcast eyes along with determination, his sudden display of resilience surprising the Sternritters. They exchange glances, some of them still grinning, while others appear more wary.

"Is he... still trying to fight?" Asked a bewildered Candice.

"What a persistent guy." Said Liltotto flatly with a hint of sarcasm.

"Impressive." Said Royd stoically with a hint of curiosity, he and his twin brother, Loyd standing beside each other in their normal forms.

"This is getting interesting!" Cackled Driscoll.

"Looks like the kid's got more fight in him." Said Gerrard amusedly.

"What's he planning?" Meninas whispered to Giselle.

"Oh, this might be fun!" Said Gremmy excitedly.

While some Sternritters remain intrigued by Ben's determination, others were ready to put an end to his resistance if need be. The situation grew tense as they waited to see his next move.

Ben would grin as he stood straight with his left hand clenched into a fist,of which the Omnitrix would suddenly begin to glow brightly, almost as if it's a direct reflection of his determination, causing the Sternritters to grow concerned, shifting into combat stances as they realized that Ben might have one more trick up his sleeve.

"What's he up to now?" Asked Bambietta nervously.

"Let's see what he's got!" Said Gremmy, his excitement growing.

"This should be entertaining." Said Mask De Masculine as he cocked his head with intrigue.

"Get ready, everyone." Ordered Lille Baro as he aimed his sniper rifle at Ben.

The Sternritters prepared themselves for whatever Ben's next move might be, ready to face the unexpected with their own abilities and powers.

"Is that all you've got?" Asked Ben with confidence while still grinning, the Omnitrix glowing brightly enough to nearly blind the Sternritters had they not looked away or shielded their eyes. But instead of transforming Ben into another alien form like they had come to expect, it instead created visible holograms standing and hovering alongside and above Ben, their numbers so vast that the ones that did hover above Ben completely covered the sky.

This most unexpected display was but an insight into Ben's true power, and with it, the Sternritters found themselves struck with awe and confusion, the sheer number of potential forms their shape-shifting opponent could assume leaving them astonished and unsure of how to proceed.

"What... What's happening?" Stammered Bambietta.

"So many choices... which one is he going to pick?!" Laughed Gremmy, his excitement reaching it's peak.

"This... This is incredible!" Shouted Mask De Masculine, his eyes widened in disbelief.

"Prepare yourselves for anything." Cautioned Lille Baro.

"I can't even count them all." Said Candice nervously.

"I've never seen anything like this." Meninas whispered to Liltotto.

"Are these all just distractions, or can he really become any of them?" Asked Liltotto cynically.

"The boy seems to possess quite the arsenal." Commented Robert.

"Quite the tactical advantage." Said Nianzol analytically.

"So many choices... Who's the main course, and who's the side dish?" Asked Giselle curiously, her interest evident.

"Let's not get distracted, remember why we're here." Said Cang Du with determination.

"This changes the situation significantly. We must proceed carefully." Mused BG9, his tone calculated.

"Hah! I can't wait to see what else you've got!" Shouted Bazz-B excitedly.

"Let's not waste any more time. He's not going to defeat us all!" Said Driscoll aggressively.

"Stay focused, everyone. We have a job to do." Said Gerrard resolutely.

"All this power... but can you escape your own fears?" Asked As Nodt grimly.

-"A million aliens, huh? That's quite a cocktail. Which one will you choose to deal with us?" Asked Askin with a smile, his tone also calculative.

"If he has a million choices, let's see how he handles all of us." Grinned Berenice.

"Whatever he's planning, it won't change our purpose here." Said Quilge, his indifferent tone still remaining.

"This boy certainly has a unique bag of tricks. Let's see how he intends to use it." Observed Jugram calmly.

While still grinning, Ben's eyes would become a bright neon green and his body emanating a green aura, almost as if It's radiating the raw power of all his transformations, which coupled with the holograms becoming more visible until they looked like they were directly standing alongside and hovering above Ben with their physical bodies fully materialized, gave the Sternritters the impression that his power was boundless, leaving them in a state of uncertainty as they further realized that they were facing a force far more formidable than they initially thought.

"Unlimited power? This is a truly intriguing situation." Analyzed Askin.

"What kind of power is this?! Is he the one who can take me on?!" Beamed Gremmy with an awestruck tone.

"All the better. I like a good challenge." Said Bambietta in an attempt to come off as amused, but in reality felt rather out of her depth.

"If it's limitless power, then we must test the limits." Said Cang Du with a focused tone.

-"That's more like it! This fight's gearing up to be totally worth all the hassle!" Shouted Bazz-B excitedly.

"This power... It exceeds the parameters. Proceed with caution." Analyzed BG9.

"This is a pretty interesting development." Said Berenice, intrigued.

"I've been wanting to see what he's really made of." Said Candice, of a similar disposition as Bambietta.

"Now this looks like it'll be a fight!" Shouted Driscoll, wildly grinning.

"Let's get down to it, then." Grinned Gerrard, battle ready.

"Blood... or power? Maybe both." Muttered Giselle amusedly.

"I like a challenge!" Roared Jerome in his normal form.

"We're going to see how strong he really is." Analyzed Liltotto.

"Time to assess his true power." Said Royd stoically, with Loyd nodding in agreement.

"Interesting. Let's see if he's all talk." Said Meninas with intrigue.

"This could prove to be intriguing." Said Nianzol curiously.

"Let's see if he's the real deal." Analyzed NaNaNa.

"A most unique spectacle to witness, indeed." Said PePe amusedly.

"Let us see what the boy can do." Said Robert, both pistols held at the ready.

"A true challenge, perhaps..." Said Quilge with a hint of determination.

"We shall see if he can match up." Said Lille Baro, ready to act at any given moment.

"This could be very interesting... and terrifying." Said As Nodt, somewhat impressed.

"I can feel the excitement in the air! A grand spectacle befitting for a Superstar!" Shouted an ecstatic Mask De Masculine.

"Unlimited power, or simply illusion? I wonder which it is." Said Jugram with curiosity.

Suddenly, Ben's eyes would stop glowing along with the Omnitrix, causing the holograms to disperse and the aura radiating off him to fade, his grin now more weary and fatigued along with his eyes partially shut as he falls to his knees, then face first to the ground, succumbing to unconsciousness from the physical and mental exhaustion he underwent in this rather tumultuous battle.

"What's this?! He...collapsed?!This can't be real!" Said Gremmy with disbelief.

"The mighty foe falls. Incredible." Said Lille Barro with a slight hint of amusement.

"You mean that was all? Pathetic!" Said Bazz-B with a mixture of annoyance and dissapointment.

"Huh, I expected more from a show-off like him." Said Candice with disappoinment and a hint of relief.

"It's almost disappointing." Said Bambietta, on the same wavelength as Candice.

"Fear... not my doing, it seems." Said As Nodt with a slight scoff.

"Guess I won't need to ask for your blood then." Snickered Askin.

"Quite a peculiar turn of events." Smirked Berenice.

"He escaped my prison only to fall like this." Scoffed Quilge.

"Overkill, but he couldn't withstand us all." Joked Driscoll.

"Not much of a miracle, is he?" Joked Gerrard as well.

"Seems like we've rendered him worse for wear." Said Royd stoically with Loyd remaining silent.

"Shame, I was hoping for a fresh corpse." Pouted Giselle playfully.

"Now what do we do?" Asked Liltotto dryly.

"It seems he couldn't overcome the limits of his exhaustion." Said BG9.

"I can feel his love... for taking a nap." Joked PePe.

"My thoughts exactly." Grinned NaNaNa.

"A precarious balance has tipped in our favor." Said Jugram cooly

As the Sternritters converse, Pernida intrigued by Ben's unconscious body, moved towards him with it's intent gaze. As an invisible force hovered around Ben, about to crush him,the Omnitrix would activate itself instinctively, engulfing Ben in the green flash of light as it transformed jim into his Polymorph form; "Goop", protecting him even while he was unconscious.

"Is this... part of his ability?" Asked Royd with a hint of curiosity matched by Loyd's own silent gaze of intrigue.

"So many twists and turns with this guy. Definitely pretty interesting." Mused Gremmy with a growing smile.

"Curious..." Said Lille Barro quietly.

"He... transformed without even being conscious?" Said Cang Du with a hint of shock.

"Intriguing..." Said As Nodt observantly.

"What a weird guy..." Said Bambietta amidst her own gaze of shock.

"Impressive..." Said Quilge with a hint of intrigue.

"So, he's still playing around..." Smirked Giselle.

"Fascinating..." Said BG9 analytically m

"I don't know if he's brave or just an idiot." Scoffed Candice.

"This boy... there's something strange about him." Mused Askin.

"This is quite unexpected." Smirked Berenice.

"Seriously, what's up with this guy?" Said NaNaNa amusedly.

"Hmph, well, that's different." Grinned Driscoll.

"Hmm, quite the trick." Smirked Gerrad.

"He's certainly an enigma." Said PePe with amusement.

"Unpredictable, as always." Said Nianzol in agreement.

"He's got more tricks than I thought." Smirked Mask De Masculine.

"A most unusual ability, indeed." Said Jugram in agreement.

The unconscious Goop would suddenly find himself reverted back to Ben without the green flash to accompany it. This was but the handiwork of Gremmy, who grinned with glee as he said. "You're not so tough now, are you?"

"Time to finish this!" Grinned Driscoll darkly as he walked towards Ben, a blue reishi spear that he just formed in his right hand. Just as he attempted to stab Ben with it, the green flash would engulf Ben as a result of the Omnitrix transforming him into his Talpaedan form; "Armodrillo", his near impervious armored skin not even denting from the reishi spear attempting to pierce him.

"What the hell? He changed again. And what the hell is that form?" Asked Bazz-B with shock.

"Another transformation? Are we just playing with him?" Asked Candice with a hint of waryness.

"I can't feel his fear anymore. This is confusing." Said As Nodt.

"A miracle or an enigma?" Asked Gerrard, equally confused.

"It's not just random. This is a defense mechanism." Discerned BG9 astutely.

"If we continue attacking, we risk the possibility of him regaining consciousness." Added Jugram, garnering looks of confusion from some of the Sternritters.

"I believe Jugram is correct. These transformations are the host's means of defense." Explained BG9

"Gremmy, return him to his original form." Ordered Jugram.

"Understood" Nodded Gremmy. Armodrillo would be reverted back to Ben, once again without the green flash. Suddenly, a bird like cage made out of reishi would imprison Ben, hovering him off the ground.

"Now, we will take him with us. My jail can accommodate his unique abilities." Said Quilge as he stood beside the now caged Ben.

The Sternritters would begin preparations to present him to Yhwach, leaving him unconscious for the time being.

...B10XB:TYBW...

The grand throne room of Silbern is an opulent chamber adorned with intricate patterns of Quincy design. Large, silver banners hang from the walls, displaying the Quincy cross, and the room is bathed in a subtle, eerie light. At the far end of the room is an imposing throne where Yhwach, the stern and imposing leader of the Wandenreich, sits in a contemplative posture, in his right hand a silver, medium sized broadsword with a musical allure to it not from this realm.

Standing below him, arranged in an arc, are the 25 Sternritters, the elite forces of the Wandenreich. They are all in their Quincy uniforms, their unique cross-shaped pendants gleaming under the room's light. Each of them carries an air of superiority and determination.

The unconscious form of Ben Tennyson, still imprisoned in Quilge Opie's cage, is brought forward and presented to Yhwach. The chamber is filled with a sense of anticipation and tension, and Yhwach's piercing eyes are locked onto the imprisoned intruder.

"My loyal Sternritters, today we have an intruder like no other. This individual has bested many of you, and it is clear they possess abilities that make them a formidable opponent. It's a testament to their strength that they have managed to overcome our forces." Yhwach acknowledged the unusual circumstances of the situation and the intruder's strength, alluding to the Sternritters' defeats without directly mentioning them by name. The room was filled with an undercurrent of frustration and tension as the defeated Sternritters, both begrudgingly and not, had their say.

"I can't believe I was defeated by this nobody! It's infuriating." Said Bambietta angrily.

"I have to admit, the guy's strong. Not that I'm happy about it." Said Meninas grudgingly.

"That battle was humiliating. I should've crushed him." Said Jerome, frustrated.

"Who is this guy anyway? I've never heard of him." Said Candice, displeased.

"He's certainly... interesting. I'd like to have some fun with him." Said Giselle with an unsettling smile.

"Well, I don't like it, but he's no pushover." Acknowledged Bazz-B.

"Whoever he is, he's managed to catch our attention." Said Liltotto with a hint of curiosity.

Yhwach's gaze remained on the unconscious intruder thoughtfully, aware of the potential threat this unknown adversary posed.

"This intruder displayed a rather intriguing phenomenon – the projection of an extensive array of abilities. A unique power source that grants him immeasurable potential. We have no doubt that he draws his strength from the device attached to his wrist, but we need to ascertain it's true nature." Analyzed Yhwach

The Sternritters reacted with a mix of curiosity and concern:

"It is... worrying. We must proceed with caution." Said Robert with uneasiness.

"Why is it so important? Can't we just crush him and be done with it?" Asked Candice impatiently.

"This could be fun! A chance to explore the boundaries of his powers to the fullest." Said Gremmy enthusiastically.

A foe with unknown abilities may not bode well in the long term, as they are often always incredibly dangerous." Said a skeptical Cang Du.

"Eiminating this intruder may be viable, but as you've all seen, his power source protected him once before. Killing him outright might not be as straightforward as it seems." Yhwach spoke with a tone of acknowledgement, recognizing the potential threat that the intruder posed.

The Sternritters exchanged glances, understanding that taking down the intruder might not be a simple task, given the unique properties of his mysterious power source, responding to Yhwach's assessment with a range of emotions and opinions.

"That power source... it could be something we've never encountered. But, do we really want to risk letting him live?" Asked Cang Du with doubt.

"Lord Yhwach, if there is even a chance he could threaten us, should we not eliminate him swiftly? We've bested countless foes before." Said Lille Barro cautiously.

"You make a fair point, Yhwach. It might be worth examining this power source more closely before we act."Analyzed Askin.

"Enough talk! Let's just crush him already. A foe's a foe, no matter the tricks." Said Mask De Masculine, growing impatient.

"This intruder... he's fascinating. I want to see how his powers work. Killing him would be such a waste." Said Gremmy with a curious smile.

"Superstar has a point. We need a solution fast before this intruder becomes a true problem." Said Bazz-B with his arms crossed.

Yhwach nodded, acknowledging their concerns but also weighing the potential risk.

"Instead of merely disposing of this intruder, perhaps we could consider making him an ally, subservient to our cause. With that device as his source of power, he could become a valuable asset." Suggested Yhwach of which the Sternritters reacted with a mixture of thoughts.

"An ally? Well, if it means more playthings, I'm all for it." Said Giselle, intrigued by the prospect.

"An enemy today, an ally tomorrow? I've seen stranger things happen." Said Liltotto as she crossed her arms with skepticism.

"We must proceed with caution, Lord Yhwach. This is an unknown element." Said an apprehensive Quilge.

"If you say so, Lord Yhwach. We shall act as you command." Said Gerrard compliantly

Yhwach's proposition was met with varying degrees of acceptance and reservation, but the decision had been made.

Yhwach continued, "Additionally, in his earliest battle within the Wandenreich, he didn't kill or severely injure any of our Quincy Soldats. In our confrontation with the Sternritters, he didn't change his approach to violence even when faced with overwhelming numbers."

The Sternritters shared their insights.

"You think he was holding back against us? That's definitely something to chew on" Said Candice thoughtfully.

"Why would he do that? Maybe he's got more tricks up his sleeve." Said Bambietta with curiosity.

"If that's true, we might be dealing with an even more dangerous adversary than we thought." Said Robert with a hint of uneasiness.

Yhwach's observations led to a new level of uncertainty among the Sternritters. The prospect that Ben might have been holding back during their confrontations added another layer of complexity to the situation.

Yhwach acknowledged their insights. "Your deductions are astute, my Sternritters. It is for this reason that we cannot be hasty when making a decision regarding the fate of this unusual intruder. We must weigh all options carefully." His words carried the weight of their shared understanding, emphasizing the gravity of the situation.

The Sternritters responded to Yhwach's words with a mix of agreement and caution.

"So, we're not just going to rush to kill him or try to make him an ally right away?" Asked Bazz-B.

"It seems like he might be more valuable than we initially thought." Mused Cang Du.

"But he's also a potential threat, even if he didn't unleash his full power." Raised Liltotto.

"I wonder what else he can do with those abilities..." Pondered Gremmy.

"We should explore the possibilities and then decide how to proceed." Suggested Askin.

These varied perspectives highlighted the complexity of their situation and the uncertainty surrounding the intruder's true capabilities.

Yhwach addressed the gathered Sternritters with his usual confidence: "Now, my Sternritters, I appreciate your diligence in this matter. We have a potentially valuable asset in our grasp, and I believe we can bring him to our side. First, we will attempt a diplomatic approach, appealing to his reason and making our case. If that fails, we will use intimidation, showing him the futility of resisting. Should that prove insufficient, we have the option of employing more drastic measures, utilizing the abilities of Giselle and As Nodt to break his spirit. However, I must emphasize the need for utmost caution. We don't want to make him a martyr or an unmanageable foe."

Yhwach's words resonated in the throne room as the Sternritters considered the potential paths to convert their enigmatic intruder to their cause.

Yhwach's words brought a range of reactions from the Sternritters.

"A diplomatic approach could work. We should appeal to his reason first." Said Askin in agreement.

"Intimidation might backfire if he's as strong as he's shown. We should tread lightly." Cautioned Cang Du.

"Torture... That's an interesting idea, but we have to be careful not to break him completely." Suggested Gremmy.

"No matter the method, we have to be careful. If we push him too far, he might become uncontrollable." Cautioned Liltotto.

"As long as we don't get too carried away, we can explore all these options." Said Bambietta.

Yhwach's plan was met with a mixture of cautious optimism and some concerns about the potential consequences.

Yhwach nodded in approval of the Sternritters' cooperation and willingness to follow his plan. He then turned his attention to Quilge Opie and requested, "Quilge, please release our guest from the jail and ensure that he is brought here."

Quilge Opie swiftly created an opening in the jail he had previously formed, of which sent out his reishi-based jail bars to release Ben, who was carried by the back of his shirt by Quilge towards Yhwach and the assembled Sternritters.

"Bambietta, Candice, you are to restrain the intruder and bring him to the detention cell. We'll approach him once he wakes up, and we will attempt to negotiate with him through diplomacy or, if necessary, intimidation." Ordered Yhwach.

"You got it, Yhwach. We'll handle it." Nodded Bambietta.

"Yeah, and we can give him a real 'warm' welcome!" Added Candice with a faint smirk.

With Yhwach's orders, both Bambietta and Candice carried him by his arms,his legs dragging across the ground as they exited the throne room, but before they departed they, along with all the Sternritters present would hear and take to heart and memory Yhwach's rather omninous closing statement of their current meeting.

"Remember, my Sternritters, from the moment he set foot in the Wandenreich, his fate became entwined with ours. His life will serve our purpose, whether as an ally or a pawn. We shall ensure that his existence contributes to our goals, one way or another."

"TIME UNTIL THE THOUSAND YEAR BLOOD WAR COMMENCES:

182 DAYS 4,368 HOURS, 262,080 MINUTES, AND 15,724,800 SECONDS!"

---

23,000 words!

I'm just as astounded as all of you who've made it this far that it was this long.

But alas, that marks the end of the first chapter.

Quite a ride, huh?

It was pretty experimental in the sense that I did some things that I haven't done with any of my stories, such as an opening poem from the perspective of a character.

Experimental things that I intend to keep doing as the story progresses, of which hopefully you'll like.

And that you hopefully liked the first chapter as well.

I've been busting my ass off for weeks to make sure that this chapter was an absolute banger, and it's because of that the all of Ben's fights with the Yhwach's army from the Quincy Soldats to the Sternritters was included here up to Ben's eventual capture and imprisonment.

I'm sure some of you may have been wondering could I not have split the contents of this chapter into two or three more chapters? Yeah, probably, but I chose not to for two reasons.

1) Pacing: Long time readers of mine know that my upload schedule isn't the best or the most consistent, so I felt it'd be better of this chapter had all the fights in it than having you all wait for God knows how long for what is essentially the first of many flights to conclude.

2) Planning: Believe it or not, I've planned out how this story will unfold quite significantly, with plot points/ story beats for Chapter's 2 to 20 already made. I won't share those plot points with you, but will share the chapter names with you as they should suffice in giving you an idea of what's to come.

Note: Some of these chapter titles are subject to change in the future, but the overall reasoning and importance behind the names will remain the same.

Chapter 2: "Awakening in the Wandenreich"

Chapter 3: "To Err to A Quincy's Cause"

Chapter 4: "Guided Tour of The Wandenreich"

Chapter 5: "Tests and Trials"

Chapter 6: "The Dichotomy of Resolve "

Chapter 7: "Clashing Ideals"

Chapter 8: "The Quincy Trials of Ben Tennyson Part 1"

Chapter 9: "The Quincy Trials of Ben Tennyson Part 2"

Chapter 10: "Rising as a Sternritter"

Chapter 11: "Harnessing Quincy Power"

Chapter 12: "Duties of a Sternritter"

Chapter 13: "Task in Hueco Mundo"

Chapter 14: "Grimmjaw's Challenge"

Chapter 15: "Day in the World of the Living"

Chapter 16: "The Calm Before The Storm "

Chapter 17: "Strained Alliances"

Chapter 18: "Battle for Allegiance"

Chapter 19: "Incarcerated Allies"

Chapter 20: "The Weight of Doubt"

I can't give an exact projection of how long this fic will be if I'm able to adhere to my plans while expanding on them where necessary, but I'll say this much, it'll definitely be more than 30 chapters and closer to 50 chapters to wrap up everything.

It'd be nice to finish the story the same time the last cour of The Thousand Year Blood War anime airs too, wouldn't it? Only time will tell.

Also, for people who I'm sure will be wondering why I made some certain creative decisions and or liberties with the Omnitrix, here's my explanations:

A) Why I had the Omnitrix act up the way it did when Ben was talking with the Quincy Soldats: They're two reasons for this. I wanted something to happen that was out of Ben's control that would cause them to resort to force to apprehend Ben while it was also visually engaging (A.K.A "Also looked pretty cool.") The second reason is a form of foreshadowing for the exact experiences that Ben underwent before ending up in the Quincy Realm.

2) Why did I give Ben Master Control: Pretty simple. Everyone's incredibly powerful in the last Arc of Bleach, and not to downplay Ben but he could benefit quite significantly from that buff which isn't the only buff he'll get too by the way, so watch out for when that happens.

3) Why did I have Ben's aliens show up like holograms right before he passed out in front of the Sternritters? Real answer is because I thought it'd be a pretty cool and standout scene especially making what was essentially Ben's last stand in that part of the chapter all the more memorable. Added answer is also foreshadowing, this time for something in particular I have in mind for the Omnitrix; a new feature if you will.

With that out of the way, here are some more things you need to know about the fic.

1) It will cover The Thousand Year Blood War Arc, mostly the anime adaptation, but for Chapters 1-20, it will be set six months before the Blood War begins.

2) It will remain T rated until the events of the Quincy's first invasion in Soul Society especially are adapted, of which it'll become M rated to better fit the tone. However if certain events within the story transpire that could be deemed as explicit regardless of what it's current rating is, I'll be sure to drop a warning adequately.

3) The romance/ship for Ben for those who are curious has already been decided. I won't tell you what it is though as I expect you to be able to pick it up with future chapters, plus the description of the story gives it away.

Subsequent questions/ reviews will be answered likely not through each chapters closing author's note, but rather dedicated chapters to fan/ reader discourse.

This fic was made purely out of a dumb but fun Discord convo i had with Rowletts and Oshawoltts, so if you notice it's not quite like any of my previous stories even more as it progresses, you know why.

That's all I have to say on Ben 10: The Quincy War for now.

Now for another Ben 10 x Bleach fic I had said I will do.

No,i have not abandoned or even cancelled "The Substitute Soul Reaper and The Shape-Shifting Hero". I've just been highly procrastinating which i apologize for. Initially it was because some things came up in my personal life that took greater priority, but now there's also the factor of other story projects being more interesting to delve into at the moment, like this.

I promise to publish the first proper chapter someday. Hopefully sooner rather than later.

With all that said, until we meet again, please, have yourselves a good one.