Father

Night Two Hundred And Eighty Eight

Age 1990

A Random Battlefield...

"I told you not to do that!"

"S... Sorry..."

In a snowy field hundreds of dead bodies could be seen. Many of which seemed to have been broken to pieces or burned to ashes.

Standing within the field were two more people.

Ben Alazir and Mr. Hyde...

Ben was on the ground covered in various wounds and seemed to be beaten up. He was the one who said sorry. Mr. Hyde held his hand out to the boy.

"It's fine..." Mr. Hyde sighed helping his husband back up. "Still. It's best to avoid using that power up... When you place an Equation within a body, it's like using the life force and energy of the sun. The glass around an Equation is highly dense and nearly unbreakable able to survive the collapse of an entire Galaxy. That said Dark Matter from the Bestia Macht's can break it... That form you enter though... It's like you're the Equation... You use that power to make a Doll and have it absorb you. Use it to much and it could..."

"Yeah... I get it." Ben took the hand and let himself be pulled up. "I'll burn out right..."

Mr. Hyde was silent for a moment as the darkness seemed to twist and bend around his body. Finally though he gave a small nod. "That's right..."

Before the two men could say anything else the ground around them began to shake and twist as something started to rise out of the ground. Both men turned to look at it each one giving a small smirk. A large shark like beast rose up from the ice.

The Beast of Hunger...

One of the few Duke level Threat Bestia Machts that existed in this world, and one of the creatures Hero Law made when he was a child. A powerful threat made from the copied DNA of the Black Squid. This was the Bestia Macht the Empress of the Red Nation wanted Hero Law to slay due to him being able to draw in Daughters power.

He was one of the few people that might be able to beat it.

Coincidently it was also the Bestia Macht that took down Jin Nine, older brother of Kitsune Nine.

"Looks like it's finally arrived..." Ben sighed pulling his lighter out.

"Indeed..." Mr. Hyde hummed as the darkness around him began to seep out getting bigger and twisting around.

It was time they began their mission...

***

Age 1992

Oleander City...

Trial Room...

"Are you okay?" Luck asked speaking with her normal blank emotionless way.

Daughter frowned for a moment as everyone began to finally calm down now that the Bestia Macht had vanished and all the bad guys were gone.

"Daughter?" Lucy asked.

"I'm... I'm fine..." Daughter said shaking her head. "But... I think Father is in trouble..."

***

The City Of Chrysanthemum...

Underneath The City...

"Oh... I got a lot more for you." Ben smirked raising his lighter back up. "Level Two."

"Seriously? Dude I've seen your level two already. It just makes your dolls stronger."

"Actually... I have two level twos."

"What?"

"One version focuses on improving a single doll... The second version instead focuses on summoning a bunch of dolls." Ben smirked as the stone doll, the smoke doll, the wind doll, and the fire doll all formed back together. "And then..." The dolls began to overlap and fuse merging together getting bigger and bigger as they turned into some kind of flaming stone monster, wind and smoke, bending and twisting around it. The thing was thirty feet tall and looked like a demon made of stone. It had large stone horns and a stone battle great sword. Fire coated the demon, and a scarf of smoke was wrapped around it, as well as the very winds themselves bending and twisting around them.

"Okay..." Hero said letting out a small gulp. "Thats... Thats pretty cool... But still."

"I'm not done." Ben said as the doll placed its hand down and he slowly stepped onto it the flames beginning to burn through his clothing and flesh as he began to burn alive. "You see... I'm sure you've seen it before... You're doing something similar. Unable to level up so instead you make a bridge to the next level... Few people can reach level three... But there does exist that gap... You're like a level 1.5. Well... Allow me to show you my 2.5!"

And with that the giant opened its mouth and shoved Ben into it swallowing him whole as it began to undergo another transformation...

"Oh cool it ate him." Hide said with wide eyes.

Hero took a step back as his eyes went wide. "What? He got eaten by his own power? Seriously! This is just like when Jester ate her Equation to get a power up... Whats up with eating stuff to get stronger?" He asked.

Hide just gave a shrug. "I don't know. Humans are weird."

Ben was devoured by his massive doll as the elements swirled around more and more. The stone doll got even bigger as two extra arms grew out of its back giving it four limbs. Its stone flesh was covered in metal liquid now as the winds around it grew even larger and the flames got larger. Its four arms reached out as a wave of lightning seeped out forming four powerful electrical blades.

"Okay now that's just unfair!" Hero yelled waving his arm. "Brave eat your heart out... This guys got way more elemental based powers!"

Finally the head of the doll began to slowly split open as a wave of blood began to burst out dripping down. As the blood rained down it began to burn through the stone floor making Hero and Hide jump back.

"The kids!" Hero said in horror when he saw the blood raining down to the three knocked out kids in glass coffins.

Thankfully it never reached them as Hide placed his hand on the ground a wave of black energy seeping out as the stone floor transformed into plants and vines a massive tree rising out and blocking the attack using its branches to keep the kids safe.

"Don't worry! I got this." Hide smirked as the branches wrapped fully around the glass coffins.

"You transmuted the stone floor into plants?" Hero said a little shocked. "Just how much stronger did you get in that form... All that power slowly whirling around together in a small human form... It's like using the sun to light a torch... You've gotten so much stronger... You're closer to Hero Otoko in terms of power then me..."

"Hero Otoko?" Hide asked.

"Long story-"

A rumbling suddenly echoed out stopping Hero and Hide. "I hope you two aren't ignoring me..." A loud voice hissed out as both Hide and Hero turned towards the Doll. Ben's dolls head fully snapped open as the blood flow finally stopped. At the neck wound it began to seep out with red blood as veins began to swirl out. At the neck wound Ben's upper body pulled itself out of the neck wound. His upper body no longer had its clothing on and hundreds of veins stabbed into his body keeping him stuck in place. The doll was now complete being massive with many limbs and instead of its head Ben's upper body now rested.

Hero stared down the doll his ruby red eyes meeting Ben's eyes as they glared at one another. "Well..." Hero said slowly a small smirk coming onto his face. "I think I'm screwed!"

"Normally I wouldn't use this power but you've left me with no choice." Ben hissed out as the doll body slowly got onto its knees its four arms rising up. "But you've left me with no choice. You're going to die here and now and my husband will devour your form just as you were made to do. He'll use you to boost himself to a higher level." The dolls fired forward slicing out with its many lightning blades as Hero did his best to try and dodged all the swords. He raised his metal arm up turning it into his shield form and using it to block the blades. The force of the attacks sent Hero flying back as he crashed into the stone wall behind him.

Hero let out a hiss of pain as his golden aura flared up and he landed on his knees. "Damn it... This is gonna put a huge toll on my body and I'll regret it later down the line but here and now I have to beat this guy." He closed his eyes as his golden aura got even brighter and exploded into a wave of black aura. "God Striking Aura Mark Two!" Hero announced blasting forward and slamming his arm out as hard as he could firing out a shock wave of flames that stretched out and scorched the air around him.

"Damn..." Hide hummed watching the fight and keeping his promise of not getting involved in the battle. "That attack is just all his heat and force unleashed at once. Nothing to special just his basic stuff amped up so high. If he's this strong in this form how strong will he be when he actually reaches his level two state? That form is not only weaker than a level twos power up, but it also drains so much energy its basically useless. Rather then improve it, it'd be better if he just focused on reaching Level Two... Why is he so focused on using that form so much? There must be a reason... Or is he just insane..."

"You think that attack will hurt me!" Ben yelled out in anger as he stared down the wave of heat.

The Doll raised all four of its arms up crossing them all together and forming a shield of lightning as they tanked the attack. The Doll was blasted off its feet but even with its insane height it flipped through the air landing back down into the ground. It slide back shattering the stone floor as it fired back towards Hero who's eyes went wide. "It's huge, fast, and acrobatic-" Hero tried to get out but the beast suddenly flashed behind him slamming its arms out towards him. Hero's arm changed back to its shield form but it was to fast sending him flying across the stone floor once more.

The doll crashed down in front of him stabbing his sword down but Hero rolled out of the way. His arm changed back to its clawed form and he slashed out but the doll dodged it by jumping into the air. Hero's claw went under the dolls legs. It landed back on the ground shattering the stone floor behind him and knocking Hero over. Its stone leg kicked up slamming into Hero's stomach as his eyes went wide and he was sent flying high into the air.

Hero's back hit the stone roof as his eyes went wide blood spilling out of his throat as he began to slowly fall back to the ground. The Dolls four limbs changed the lightning swords into large lightning gauntlets which it then used to slam out four powerful spiraling punches directly into Hero's body as he was then sent across the room yet again slamming into the stone wall. Hero slumped down spitting out even more blood as his vision became blurry.

'Shit Hero are you okay?' Row asked speaking into his head. He spoke in a worried tone. 'Damn we should get out of here right now! We are not doing good...'

"Looks like he isn't doing to well... I know he said he didn't want me to jump in but maybe I should help him..." Hide wondered out loud scratching his chin. Ben's doll fusion fired into Hero slamming its legs into the downed Hero and drilling the boy into the ground deeper and deeper. Hero screamed out in pain as he got shoved deeper and deeper. Several of his bones likely broke as the doll unleashed everything it had on Hero. "Alright." Hide nodded holding his left hand out as black sludge dripped out of it and his limb morphed into a slick black blade. "Looks like I'm getting involved after all-"

'Crack!'

A loud cracked rung out behind Hide making the Bestia Macht stop. He turned around and stared down at the glass coffins. The glass coffins now had several cracks in them and inside the three kids began to slowly move...

"Uh oh..."

Hero screamed out in pain even louder as the Dolls fist stabbed out its lightning gauntlets slammed into him.

"And with this..." Ben smirked giving a twisted and mad grin. "You're done-"

'Boom!'

From up above a massive explosion echoed out stopping everyone as the roof caved in and a large shark Bestia Macht dropped down!

The beast of hunger arrived...

To save its creator, or to devour and gain his power...

Only time would tell.