Chapter 20: Vilgax 3

One person, one machine, one extraterrestrial stood motionless, forming a triangular formation, in just a few seconds, the air tensed, as if any movement would break it.

And then, it was unclear who started first, the floor beneath Vilgax and the robot shattered, and both of them roared as they charged at each other like ferocious beasts.

Watching the intense battle from the outside, Gwen was shaken. Despite their colossal size, their movements were unbelievably fast. The most surprising thing for her, perhaps, was Grandpa Max. Gwen couldn't reconcile the image of the skilled warrior moving between the two monstrous creatures with the gentle old man she knew in everyday life.

Looking down at the charm necklace around her neck, Gwen let out a soft sigh, recalling the moment she acquired it.

at least I graduated from primary school! Can you say the same?

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[ Gwen POV ]

While waiting for the BT robots to assemble the armor for Grandpa Max, a figure approached me from behind, and I realized it was Kevin.

"Feeling worried?" Kevin asked.

Slightly startled, I replied with annoyance, "It's none of your business, Kevin!"

"Hey, calm down. We're on the same side, remember?"

"Do you really expect me to believe that? Especially after you got thrashed by Ben."

My words couldn't wipe off the smug grin on his face.

"Really , if I remember correctly, In our last battle, the outcome wasn't in Ben's favor. Maybe you were still sleeping at that time?"

My expression slightly changed. "So, it was truly you that day. Why were you there?"

"Ah, you finally figured it out. Not too slow after all," Kevin said mockingly.

"Me ? Slow? At least I graduated from primary school! Can you say the same?" I retorted.

"Oh, quite the accomplishment. Do you see that car over there?" He pointed to a blue Dodge Challenger .

"Sure, so what?"

"I made it."

"..."

Mocking, he retorted, "Oh, don't you worry! I'm absolutely certain that your talent for measuring triangle sides without a ruler is just as impressive!"

I clenched my fist, gritting my teeth, wishing I could just punch him.

Perhaps sensing the danger, Kevin raised both hands in a submissive gesture.

"Okay, Kitty, no need to get all riled up. I know something that will cheer you up."

With that, he pulled out a box from behind him.

Still feeling some annoyance, I couldn't help but be surprised when I looked inside. The box contained a necklace with Bezel charms.

"You still remember these, right?"

"Of course! How could I forget?" I held up the necklace, my eyes lighting up, and looked at Kevin expectantly. "Are you planning to give them to me?"

Kevin leaned in, his gaze tender, making my face feel warm. His voice softened, "No."

"..."

"You can only keep them until the end of this event. I have to risk it all with a Master Sorcerer just to obtain them. Why in the world would you think I'd just give them to you for free? Because you graduated from elementary school?"

My face darkened, and the veins on my forehead bulged again. But Kevin acted as if he didn't notice.

"Kid these days, they can do a few simple math problems and think they're Pythagoras. You should check yourself, Kiddo. Arrogance isn't a good trait."

As he spoke, he patted my head as if reprimanding a child.

"Go to hell!!"

Anger surged through me, and I shook my head to dodge Kevin's hand. Instead, I aimed my right hand straight at his abdomen. I thought the best result would be knocking him down, but an unexpected change occurred.

The moment of impact, a dazzling stream of electricity emanated from my hand, forcefully blasted Kevin ten meters away into the wall.

Stunned, I looked at my hand first, then back at the glowing Bezel charm. A feeling of joy flooded my heart.

[POV ends]

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[3rd person POV]

Looking back at the battlefield, Gwen sighed softly as the thrill of gaining power diminished significantly. Despite having acquired strength, Gwen dared not intervene. The pace of the fight was simply too fast for her to handle. Just one stray blow could turn her into rubble.

She knew that recklessly attacking could endanger her teammates. "So, I'll stick to my mission then," she thought.

Ignoring the ongoing battle, Gwen rushed to Ben's side, only to find Ripjaw being carried away by several of Vilgax's soldiers. Without hesitation, Gwen's hand emitted multiple lightning bolts, destroying the them all.

Reaching Ben, she noticed he was still breathing, and she sighed in relief. As she was about to wake him up, his body suddenly trembled, transforming into Stinkfly.

Recalling something, Gwen took a cylindrical device from her belt, placed one end above the Omnitrix, and pressed a button. A red light emitted from the watch, and Ben returned to his human form.

Without wasting any more time, Gwen immediately woke him up.

"Hey dweeb, is it morning already?" asked Ben wearily.

"Get up quickly, you dolt. Vilgax won't wait for you to fully wake up."

Hearing about Vilgax, Ben immediately sprang to his feet.

"Vilgax!! Where is he? I need to take him down... And where's Grandpa Max?"

It took Gwen some time to calm her cousin down and brief him on what had just happened.

"Grandpa is fighting Vilgax? That's too dangerous, I need to go help him."

"Calm down, Ben. Right now, he's fine. Kevin is assisting him, so he'll be okay. But if we want to defeat Vilgax, we still have a lot to do."

It took a while, but Gwen finally convinced Ben. They both headed towards the mainframe computer. Grandpa Max and Kevin had left the battlefield earlier, creating an opportunity for the two.

"So, what do I need to do now?" Ben asked.

"Transform into Upgrade and try to disable or weaken the AI control of the spaceship for as long as possible. Leave the rest to me."

Time was pressing, and Ben wasted no words. He immediately transformed into Upgrade and merged with the computer, starting his own battle. Meanwhile, Gwen took out the cylindrical device from before, gently pressed a button, and a sharp needle shot out from one end. She quickly inserted it into the keyboard, and a progress bar appeared on the screen, indicating that the process would be completed in about 10 minutes.

According to Kevin's explanation, this would make Vilgax's army betray their former master, giving them a chance to win the fight.

Gwen had glanced through the data Kevin provided, and the abilities and power levels of Vilgax left her astonished. Even a few nuclear warheads would only leave him severely injured, and his extraordinary defensive strength made him seemingly invincible. Not to mention that Vilgax had undergone further enhancements, making his strength beyond imagination. None of Ben's alien forms could match up to him.

Gwen had also seen the weapon that the Plumbers had specially created to kill Vilgax, which Kevin had further modified. However, when used against Vilgax, it barely inflicted any damage, only slightly slowing down his movements.

Her train of thought was suddenly interrupted by a blaring, brain-numbing alarm.

"I'm sorry; I can't completely stop it," Ben's voice came from within the computer.

"No worries, I knew this would happen," replied Gwen calmly. Her body began to rise slowly in mid-air, and bolts of lightning swirled around her palm. Ahead of Gwen, the Mechadroids were assembling.

[POV ends]