"For the sign-in reward, I'll just have to watch this guy power up and then deal with him."
Asher reluctantly kept his hand away from the Omnitrix, quietly observing Zombozo as he waited for the villain to complete his transformation into something even more dangerous.
"AHHHHHH!!"
Zombozo's screams tore through the air in waves.
His body, originally just over three feet tall, suddenly shot upward, growing rapidly until he towered at nearly thirteen feet! He'd become roughly the same size as Four Arms!
His clothes couldn't handle the sudden expansion. His upper body garments tore apart, the shredded fabric hanging off him in strips.
Bloodshot veins stood out starkly against his pale skin, creating a grotesque web of red across his flesh!
The most disturbing part? Underneath that pallid complexion, dozens upon dozens of smiling faces pressed against his skin from the inside, the stolen joy of every civilian he'd drained, now visible as grotesque impressions beneath the surface!!
"Little brat, whatever alien hero you transform into now won't be enough to stop me!" Zombozo's voice boomed through the warehouse, impossibly loud. He swung his newly massive arms with enough force to send wind gusts rippling outward, roaring with fury.
He looked genuinely intimidating!
"Then I'll just use XLR8 to take you down!"
Asher decisively pressed the Omnitrix's faceplate and selected his transformation!
FLASH!
Green light erupted around him. When it faded, XLR8 stood where Asher had been, his body language radiating cold confidence!
"Ding! Congratulations to the host for signing in successfully!"
"Reward obtained: Blue-tier martial arts manual 'Wind God Leg' from the Feng Yun universe. Please select an alien transformation to enhance!"
Wind God Leg! This was one of the legendary techniques from "Wind and Cloud", a supreme skill that existed on the same level as Cloud-Dispelling Palm and Sky Frost Fist!
It was renowned as the fastest leg technique in existence, capable of creating storm-like offensive patterns when combined with proper speed. The potential synergy with XLR8's abilities was perfect!
"Enhance XLR8!!"
XLR8 didn't hesitate for even a second. Instantly, memories flooded his mind, muscle memory from what felt like more than a decade of intensive training. In that single moment, he mastered every single move of Wind God Leg, becoming a leg-fighting master!!
"Hahaha! This little thing?! He looks so weak!"
Looking at XLR8 standing before him, Zombozo sneered without restraint. Next to his massive, hulking body, XLR8's frame appeared as small and fragile as a chicken.
Not far away, Ben dragged both Max and Gwen's unconscious bodies to the side, moving them out of the potential combat zone. Zombozo didn't even bother acknowledging this. His entire focus remained locked on humiliating Asher!
"Weak? Sounds like you've got a pretty clear understanding of your own position."
XLR8's visor slowly lowered into place. He delivered the cold, sarcastic remark with perfect timing, effortlessly turning Zombozo's insult back on him.
"YOU'RE DEAD!!"
Zombozo suddenly surged forward. The entire warehouse seemed to shake from the impact of his footsteps! His fist rocketed toward XLR8's small frame like a freight train accelerating downhill!
"Too slow!"
XLR8 casually glanced at the incoming fist. He took a few measured steps to the right, no rush, no panic. The massive fist sailed past him, slamming into the concrete floor where he'd been standing just a moment before and creating a crater!
"What?!"
Zombozo's eyes couldn't track the movement. By the time he realized XLR8 had dodged, his opponent was already standing to the right of his fist. His expression showed genuine shock.
Just now... had his eyes been playing tricks on him? How could this speedster have moved so fast??
"Keep going."
XLR8 delivered the taunt lightly, completely unconcerned by the towering monster in front of him.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!!
Zombozo launched another barrage, punch after punch, attack after attack, frantically trying to land something on XLR8. But his opponent seemed to be moving in place, transforming into a blue streak of light that effortlessly dodged every single strike!
In XLR8's perception, this kind of battle was downright boring!
"You, if you've got any ability, attack me! All you can do is dodge! What kind of skill is that?!" Zombozo pulled his fists back, staring at the blue afterimage before him with growing panic. His eyes couldn't keep up with XLR8's movements anymore.
"You're right. Let me show you my new technique!" XLR8's mouth curved into a smirk. His body suddenly materialized directly in front of Zombozo!
Wind God Leg: Grass in the Strong Wind!
His right leg transformed into an invisible shadow, slamming into Zombozo's chest with devastating force!
"With such a skinny body, I'll just stand here and let you, "
Zombozo was about to sneer, ready to mock XLR8 for trying to damage his massive, reinforced frame. But mid-sentence, an incredible force detonated against his chest!
THUD!
A visible dent suddenly appeared in his torso. Then, his enormous body was kicked backward several steps by the impact alone!
Speed is power!!
He'd thought Diamondhead represented the ceiling of Asher's alien transformations in terms of pure combat effectiveness.
Actually?
That was just average!
"AHHH! I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!!" Zombozo coughed up a mouthful of blood. Rage consumed him completely. He charged forward again, arms outstretched to grab XLR8!
WHOOSH!
Predictably, XLR8 zipped past his attack at speeds that would make the Flash proud. Immediately after dodging...
BAM!
Another kick!
Zombozo's entire head snapped to the side from the impact! His skull felt like it was rattling around inside, like he was heading straight for a concussion!
He couldn't touch XLR8.
Yet XLR8 landed a counter-kick after every dodge!
This was a terrible matchup!!
There was absolutely no hope of victory in sight!
"I, I need to absorb more joy energy! I need to become stronger!!" Zombozo slammed the button on the Psyclown machine again, glaring viciously at XLR8 as he began devouring more captured souls!
His body swelled even larger. The surface of his skin began cracking and splitting!
But his energy signature became terrifying!
"Perfect. Your size just makes you better target practice for my leg techniques..." XLR8 watched Zombozo's transformation with complete indifference.
In his assessment?
For Zombozo to actually touch him and keep up with his speed?
He'd need to wait another ten thousand years.
He was actively letting Zombozo absorb more souls, using the villain as a training dummy to practice his Wind God Leg techniques!
"AHHHHHH!!!"
When Zombozo finally stopped the soul absorption ritual, his body had reached an absurd twenty feet tall, like a walking skyscraper! At the same time, hairline fractures appeared across his skin, as if he couldn't contain the power anymore. His massive shadow blocked out most of the ceiling lights above them. "I'm going to punch you into paste! A complete paste!"
He genuinely believed he could do it now. Once again, he raised both massive fists and brought them crashing down toward XLR8's position!
But this time...
WHOOSH! WHOOSH! WHOOSH!!
A tornado of blue blurs suddenly appeared! One XLR8, ten XLR8s, and then countless XLR8s surrounded Zombozo from all directions!!
"Clone technique? No, no, it's just afterimages from moving too fast!!"
Zombozo stared at the swarm of XLR8s encircling him, his fists frozen mid-swing. His eyes couldn't distinguish which one was real and which ones were fake!
"Try this technique: Wind God Leg: Torrential Rain and Wind!!"
In that moment!
All the XLR8 images raised their legs simultaneously. Countless kicks descended like a storm, striking every part of Zombozo's massive body in rapid succession!
His towering frame began swaying violently under the assault. Pain exploded across his entire body, every inch of him!
Each kick was heavy and impossibly fast!!
"AHHHHH!!!"
Within just a few seconds, the now-bloody Zombozo couldn't hold back his agonized screams anymore. He was kicked backward again!
The moment when that slender figure launched that giant body through the air?
The visual was absolutely epic!
CRASH!!
Zombozo's body slammed into the Psyclown machine, the impact creating a deafening metallic crash! Electrical sparks erupted from the damaged container. The captured souls inside began pouring out, automatically flooding into Zombozo's body!
But this time?
His expression showed no joy whatsoever. Instead, his face twisted with pure, undiluted terror!!
The forced soul infusion caused his skin to crack even further. His body continued expanding like a balloon being pumped past its breaking point!