“Flying Finger Pistol Sting,” Phantasm Lucci said as his finger flicked and a compressed air projectile shot towards Ben like a needle of destruction. Ben quickly sidestepped, narrowly avoiding the attack as the compressed air bde struck the ground with explosive force, kicking up a cloud of dirt and debris.

  Za swung her tail like a whip, slicing through the air toward Phantasm Lucci. He leapt into the air, twisting his body mid-flight to evade her attack.

  “Slide Ssh,” Alvida remarked as she spun her arm rapidly and generated a bde of compressed air that went towards Lucci.

  “Storm Leg Leopard Tail,” Lucci countered as he unleashed a swirling bst of compressed air shaped like a spiraling whip. The two attacks collided midair, creating a powerful shockwave that shook the battlefield. The swirling bst of Lucci’s attack overwhelmed Alvida’s compressed air ssh and surged forward.

  Ben’s eyes narrowed as he saw the incoming attack. He unched himself towards Alvida, wrapping an arm around her and pulling her out of harm’s way just in time. The swirling air bde smmed into the ground behind them, tearing up the earth and leaving a deep scar in the battlefield.

  “Thank you, my love,” Alvida teased as she kissed his cheek.

  “Alvida,” Ben remarked, smiling.

  “Later love birds,” Za growled as she looked at them. There was affection in her voice.

  Rubis sprinted towards Phantasm Lucci. “Rouge Impact Thrust,” she shouted, summoning all her strength as she drove her spear forward with incredible force, aiming straight at Lucci’s chest.

  “Iron Body: Deutzia,” Phantasm Lucci calmly said, his body hardening to an almost impenetrable state.

  “Stop! Don’t hit him,” Ben called out, however it was too te.

  Rubis’ spear connected with Lucci’s solidified body, the impact reverberating through her arms. The force of her own attack ricocheted back into her, sending shockwaves through her entire body. She winced as her grip on the spear faltered slightly, her focus momentarily shaken.

  “Finger Pistol,” Phantasm Lucci said, as he raised his index finger and lunged toward Rubis’ unprotected stomach.

  At the st moment, Emeraude leapt into action. “Vert Thrust,” she yelled, driving her spear forward with devastating precision to intercept Lucci’s attack. The two attacks cshed mid-air, creating a shockwave that rippled through the battlefield.

  Rubis, regaining her composure, swung her spear in an arc, aiming to ssh Phantasm Lucci across the torso. But Lucci was faster. He raised his hand and blocked the attack with ease.

  At that moment, Za charged into the fray. With her head lowered, she aimed to headbutt Phantasm Lucci from behind. Her hardened skull collided with Lucci’s back.

  Phantasm Lucci staggered slightly from the impact but quickly regained his bance. His piercing eyes narrowed, and in one swift motion, he grabbed both Rubis’ and Emeraude’s spears. With a ferocious dispy of strength, he flung them backward, sending the sisters tumbling across the ground.

  Phantasm Lucci then turned his attention to Za. “Finger Gun Yellow Lotus,” he said as he unleashed a rapid-fire barrage of finger pistols at Za’s beast form. Each strike nded with devastating precision, hitting vital points across her body. Za let out a guttural cry of pain as blood sprayed from her wounds. The relentless assault sent her flying backward. She hit the ground hard.

  “Za, Rubis, Emeraude,” Ben shouted. He looked angry.

  “Let's get him my love,” Alvida said.

  Phantasm Lucci prepared to move. “Demon Beam,” Ben said as he focused his dark energy into his hand. The air crackled as he raised his palm and unleashed a concentrated, one-handed beam of destructive energy. The beam surged forward, striking Phantasm Lucci dead-on. A small explosion erupted upon impact, sending up a dense cloud of bck smoke. As the smoke cleared, Lucci stumbled forward.

  Before Lucci could retaliate, Alvida jumped in. “Kanabo Breaker,” she said as she gripped Seraphina, with both hands and channeled her strength into a precise, devastating strike. The mace collided with Lucci’s stomach with a resounding thud, causing him to double over. “This is for hurting us,” Alvida said as she recalled the brutal battles Vivi and the others endured against the real Lucci.

  Ben surged forward and flew towards Phantasm Lucci. “Demon's Inferno Fist,” he said as he channeled bck fmes into his fist. His strike connected squarely with Phantasm Lucci’s face, forcing his head to snap sideways as blood sprayed from his mouth.

  Alvida followed up immediately. “Kanabo Reaper,” she roared as she swung Seraphina in a wide, arcing strike. She crashed it into Lucci’s chest with bone-crushing force, sending him staggering backward as more blood dripped from his mouth.

  “Demon Kick,” Ben said, his energy surged into his leg. With incredible speed and force, he delivered a devastating kick to Lucci’s jaw, snapping his head upwards with a sickening crack.

  Alvida swung Seraphina again, driving the mace into Lucci’s stomach with unrelenting power. The force of the blow made Lucci grunt in pain, but before he could recover, Ben delivered a crushing punch to his face, sending him reeling.

  Phantasm Lucci tried to counterattack, swinging his fist with ferocious strength. However, Alvida intercepted it mid-swing with Seraphina, the csh of power sending a shockwave.

  Ben stepped back. “Demon Inferno Fire,” he roared as he unleashed a torrent of bck, fiery fmethrower. The inferno engulfed Phantasm Lucci, charring his fur and leaving scorch marks on his skin.

  “Shave,” Phantasm Lucci hissed as he vanished in a blur of speed as he retreated several steps away, his charred skin steaming from the heat of the fmes.

  Za turned back to her human form. She wiped the blood from her lips. “Za, are you okay?” Ben asked.

  “I am for sure,” Za responded.

  “Take the Heal Drink,” Alvida said.

  Emeraude nodded and gave her one. Za looked at Ben. He had a stern look. She smiled and thought he was trying to be serious but he was cute. Za drank it down. The wounds on her body disappeared. “I am okay,” he said.

  “Let's end this,” Ben said as his body began to convulse, his muscles expanded. His skin darkened and turned into a reddish bck. Two massive horns erupted from his forehead, curving upward. His eyes bzed with an intense red. His body continued to grow, Ben's height shot to 28 feet. His limbs elongated and thickened with muscle. His legs became longer and more muscur. His tail grew rger and wider. There was a dagger tip. His crotch had a cocoon like shell. He had a towering, hulking presence. His fingers extended into sharp, cw-like talons, and his back arched slightly. The air around him seemed to thrum with an ominous energy. The ground beneath him cracked under the weight of his colossal frame.

  “This form,” Za remarked. She could feel her body tingling.

  “Wow,” Emeraude said, looking at him. She thought he looked better, her body was drawn to me.

  “Indeed,” Rubis agreed, she could feel her body on a bit of fire.

  Alvida felt her heartbeat pounding. Her cheeks were red. She looked to see the other girl having the same effect. She smiled. “Let's end this like my love said,” Alvida added.

  The pressure around Ben was different.

  “Life Return Paper Art Fighting Form,” Phantasm Lucci said as he slimed his body down. His rge chest got smaller. His arms and legs got leaner. He looked like he had been on an extreme diet.

  “Kitty got skinny,” Za remarked. She thought that would be useful for her.

  Phantasm Lucci went at speed towards Za.

  Ben saw him dashing towards him. “Rakshasa Fist,” Ben said as he channeled a surge of dark energy into his clenched fist. His hand began to glow with an ominous bck light. The air around his fist warped and rippled. Ben swung his fist forward in a devastating punch aimed directly at Phantasm Lucci and hit him. The rge fist knocked him back. He spat blood as he went flying back.

  “That was fast,” Rubis commented.

  Phantasm Lucci struggled to his feet, his body trembled. His breath came in ragged gasps.

  Ben, unrelenting, stepped forward. “Rakshasa Shockwave,” he said as he clenched his fist tightly. A transparent bck sphere of energy swirled ominously around his hand, crackling with dark power. With a mighty swing, he smmed his fist into the ground.

  The earth groaned and cracked as a massive shockwave erupted outward, tearing through the battlefield. Phantasm Lucci was caught in the devastating force, his body lifted off the ground and smmed back down with a thud. The sheer pressure fttened him into the dirt as he spat blood, under the weight of the attack.

  Ben didn’t let up. “Rakshasa Barrage,” he called, his body becoming a blur as he unleashed an unrelenting assault of fists. His movements were so rapid that his arms appeared to multiply, creating a dizzying spectacle of destruction.

  Each punch nded with bone-shattering force. His fists pummeled Lucci’s chest, mouth, stomach, and legs in a relentless torrent. The sound of impact echoed like a drumbeat, each strike driving Phantasm Lucci further into the ground.

  From a distance, Alvida, Za, Emeraude, and Rubis watched in awe. The raw power and elegance of Ben’s movements were mesmerizing. They couldn’t help but marvel at the beauty of his relentless attack. They thought he looked good.

  Ben paused for a moment, his body radiating dark energy as he took a deep breath. His lips curled as he opened his mouth. “Rakshasa Bst,” he roared. Dark energy swirled around him, condensing into a massive, pulsating sphere in his mouth. The ball of energy grew rger and rger, its surface crackling with unstable power. With a thunderous roar, Ben unched the dark sphere at Phantasm Lucci. The ball streaked through the air like a meteor before smming into Lucci’s body. The impact triggered a colossal explosion, the bst wave shaking the ground and sending debris flying in all directions. A plume of energy rose into the sky, engulfing everything in its radius. As the smoke cleared, the battlefield was left scarred and smoldering, with a massive crater where Phantasm Lucci had been. Ben stood tall, his dark energy dissipating as he exhaled deeply. The girls stared in stunned silence, their admiration.

  “So strong,” Emeraude said.

  “My love is,” Alvida agreed.

  “He is something for sure,” Rubis added, looking at Ben.

  Phantasm Lucci levitated from the ground. His body spun around and turned into light and went back into the orb.

  “He is down,” Za said.

  “My love beat him twice now,” Alvida said.

  The orb started to shake as it also levitated and turned into a light and went into the air. The momentum which held the orb threw several masks from venetian, phantom masks, ce masks and ballroom masks and many more masks.

  “These are masks,” Za said.

  “Why did it give them?” Rubis asked.

  Alvida smiled. “I can think of a reason,” Alvida responded. She had a mischievous smile for sure.

  Ben transformed back into his human form. He panted. He thought that it was tiring to use that form. “Let's head back,” Ben said.

  They all nodded.