Yellowstone National Park.
Once-lush trees had decayed into grotesque heaps of remains, their stench choking the air. The soil beneath their roots had melted into a foul, reeking sludge, spreading outward to form an endless sea of rot.
Mountain ranges crumbled one after another, as though drained of all strength—snapped in half by some unstoppable, monstrous force before tumbling down with earth-shaking crashes.
High above, Stinkfly beat his wings, circling through the murky sky as he clashed fiercely with the alien trio.
Grandpa Max and Gwen had already been moved to a nearby cave, safe for the time being.
A battle of this scale was something Ben would never let them get involved in.
"I wonder how Cuz is doing out there?" Stinkfly rasped, glancing toward the distant red glow.
That was the Great One—the embodiment of destruction. Wherever it passed, life withered, stars died, and nothing was spared.
"Hope Lucian can squash that overgrown bug," Stinkfly muttered, a rare glint of murderous intent flashing in his eyes—a sign of just how serious things had become.
Buzz!
A sharp streak of purple energy sliced through the air from behind, aimed straight for Stinkfly's tail, ready to split him in two.
Feeling the powerful gust as the attack tore through the air, Stinkfly twisted aside at the last moment, barely evading it.
He turned, glaring at the three aliens before him, his fists clenching in anger.
These damned bug-worshiping cultists!
"Filthy Lepidopterran! I don't know why you've appeared on Earth, but this must be the Great One's divine will!" the Purple Axe Alien snarled, his face twisted in a vicious grin. "Destiny decrees that you and this planet will perish together!"
"I believe the Great One will once again reveal its divine miracle to cleanse this tainted world," Frog Eyes declared with solemn reverence, raising both arms toward the heavens.
"Earth, we've heard that humans here constantly slaughter each other, trapped in foolish, meaningless conflict. To end your suffering, the Great One descended to save all living beings. Such mercy toward the universe moves us to endless admiration!"
The Six-Armed Yellow Alien lifted all six arms, his bloodshot eyes gleaming as he shouted,
"Give thanks for the Great One's glorious blessing!"
"Give thanks for the Great One's glorious blessing!" the other two echoed in unison.
Stinkfly's mandibles clicked in fury. "Give thanks, my ass! That thing's a demon!"
"Ignorant wretch! How dare you blaspheme the Great One's name!" Frog Eyes' forehead glowed, firing a beam of purple light.
Stinkfly fired back, ejecting thick green slime from his eyes, reeking with a noxious stench. The two attacks collided midair, vaporizing in a burst of steam.
"Let's finish it together!" shouted the Six-Armed Yellow Alien.
"Agreed!"
The trio darted forward on their Hoverboards, energy surging as they launched their assault.
"Let's see how you freaks handle a real hero!"
A sharp gleam flashed in Stinkfly's eyes. Unflinching, he spread his wings wide and charged, plunging headlong into battle with the alien trio.
...
Inside the stone cave,
Grandpa Max's expression was grim as he stared out at the Great One in the distance and the decay spreading all around. He let out a quiet sigh. "Everything now depends on Lucian."
Everywhere except this natural stone cave had already been corroded. On the surface, the ground still looked the same—but beneath, it had rotted through, turning into a vast swamp. Anyone who stepped in would find it almost impossible to escape.
He and Gwen couldn't fly, which meant they couldn't leave the cave—let alone get anywhere near the Great One.
"Whether Earth can be saved… it's all up to Cuz now," Gwen murmured softly, worry clouding her bright eyes.
She couldn't stop thinking about him. What was happening to Lucian inside that creature? Was he okay? Or had something gone wrong?
Lost in thought, Gwen sat on a rock, her face heavy with concern.
Rustle… rustle…
A strange sound suddenly came from behind her.
Gwen spun around, her face draining of color. "Ah! What is that!?"
Several purple vines, as if alive, slithered across the cold stone, writhing toward them. Even stranger, each vine ended in a gaping mouth that opened and closed, letting out eerie hissing noises.
"It must be the stink bug's venom—it's contaminated the life forms on the surface," Grandpa Max said as he rushed over.
Seeing the grotesque vines closing in, Gwen quickly raised her hand and cast her spell.
Dozens of shimmering Aqua Arrows formed around her, hovering like silver needles before shooting toward the encroaching vines.
Clang! Clang!
The arrows struck with sharp metallic sounds, bursting into sparks as they hit the vines—but the attack scattered harmlessly in the air.
"It didn't work?" Gwen gasped, stunned.
"That venom's too strong. It's turned regular vines into deadly weapons."
Grandpa Max pulled the laser pistol from his belt and fired.
Bang! Bang!
Blue energy bolts pierced several vines clean through. They went limp, collapsing like broken machinery.
But within seconds, they began to knit back together and surged forward once again.
Gwen began chanting a new spell, summoning a mighty water dragon that coiled before her. Steam filled the air as it roared forward with violent force.
"Water Dragon Soul!"
Boom!
The explosion shook the cave as the dragon tore through the vines, shredding them to pulp. The remains melted into purple sludge, lifeless and unable to regenerate.
"Phew… finally got them," Gwen sighed, wiping the sweat from her brow.
Rustle… rustle…
Another sound echoed from outside the cave.
Both of them froze, slowly turning toward the entrance.
A swarm of mutated vines—twisting in shades of blue, green, and violet—crawled toward them, drawn by the scent of life within the cave.
Gwen's body tensed again. She began chanting louder, conjuring another spell as Grandpa Max took his stance beside her, twin pistols blazing as they fought to hold the vines back...
...
Inside the giant insect's body, darkness loomed thick with a faint, metallic stench.
At the base, a pool of radiant white energy pulsed softly—the life force drawn from Earth itself, feeding the Great One's body.
Cannonbolt stood near the glowing pool, facing down Red Spikesnake and Humungousaur. The air between them buzzed with tension, seconds away from erupting into violence.
"Red Spikesnake? Don't tell me you're another one of the Great One's servants," Cannonbolt's deep voice rumbled, his eyes glinting in the white light.
"Exactly," Red Spikesnake said coolly. "We are loyal followers. Any being who threatens the Great One… must be destroyed."
As he spoke, the spikes on his fists extended and retracted freely, gleaming like blades—just like Wolverine's claws, built for both close combat and ranged strikes.
"So that's how he deflected my attack earlier," Cannonbolt thought.
Those spikes could detach like spears—and regenerate right after.
"Red Spikesnake, this intruder wounded the Great One! We can't let him live!" Humungousaur roared, his fists clenching tight.
"Then… we eliminate him."
A flash of crimson lit up Red Spikesnake's eyes. He yanked the spike from his left arm, extending it into a long, razor-edged blood spear—and lunged straight at Cannonbolt with deadly speed...